For her third season under her namesake label, Tamara Ralph was in romantic mode. After two collections built around armor-like structures synonymous with feminine strength — and almost as if to prove her own resilience on her return to Paris — her fall offering was an ode to the city and the love affairs that begin here.
Hers was an idealized vision of Paris full of vintage references — the opening pencil dress in houndstooth check was paired with a demure pillbox hat and veil, nodding to the black-and-white imagery of the Nouvelle Vague. Fishtail skirts and peplum jackets had a role to play, as did sweeping necklines and draping to enhance the silhouette.
Velvet gowns in the deepest black with shimmering embroideries in vertical waves punctuating the body might evoke the glittering Eiffel Tower at night through the window of a speeding cab. Allover mirror designs nodded perhaps to the lavish Art Deco interiors of the city’s eateries. Embroidered mesh gloves and lace stockings, could that have been a trip to the Moulin Rouge? A minidress sewn all over with black baquette sequins, complete with a cone bra, had something of the showgirl aesthetic too.
Pleated chiffon palazzo pants, paired with an embellished tweed jacket hemmed with ostrich feathers, had a more contemporary vibe. Ditto a pair of white sequin pants with a top crafted from a multitude of chains of pearls, and a feather-trimmed minidress and maxi-boots.
The all-out romance was largely reserved for the final looks, draped pieces in duchesse satin in sugary pink and vivid red, for instance. One had a long train embroidered with a scattering of life-like rose blossoms. Another, in red, had two blossoms aligned with the bust of its sweetheart neckline. The bride carried a bouquet of the handmade pavé-coated metal flowers Ralph is increasingly incorporating into her designs.