Tamara Ralph: “The Royal Oak Concept is strong and feminine. I wanted to push the boundaries even further.”

A few days before her second haute couture runway show at Paris Fashion Week under the banner of her new brand, haute couture designer Tamara Ralph granted an exclusive interview to Luxury Tribune, while the buzz of the workshops was expected to roar backstage. Yet, imperial and in the image of her resounding comeback to the fashion scene, Tamara Ralph displays a disconcerting serenity.

Hailed by critics and endorsed by a clientele that couldn't bear her absence from the runways after the cessation of the Ralph & Russo brand three years ago, which she shared with her partner, she eagerly anticipates showcasing this new facet of a strong and modern woman, sharper and more powerful in her attire. From this more assertive style, she also signs a horological creation designed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. On January 22, the first day of the Paris Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2024, it's also the occasion for the Brassus-based watch brand to reveal the new limited edition model of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon. It features an 18-carat rose gold case adorned with the Frosted Gold finish. The dial, consisting of several levels, takes inspiration from Tamara Ralph's Couture creations. It is composed of four superimposed circular plates in rose gold, creating a ripple effect emanating from the flying tourbillon cage located at 6 o'clock. Another artistic hybrid that the Brassus-based watch brand enjoys cultivating with the fashion world.

You infuse a particular sense of luxury into your creations. If you were to compare fashion and watchmaking from this specific approach, how would you distinguish them?

Both industries are relatively similar, especially when it comes to craftsmanship and an absolute demand for quality, two criteria that have persisted for generations. Audemars Piguet respects historical craftsmanship while modernizing techniques and materials. Haute couture is based on the same foundations; it's the pinnacle of luxury. It requires daring to push the boundaries of creativity with techniques never before experimented with. On many points, the connection between our two brands is strong.

You mentioned feeling an innate sense of creation early on. Your journey is unique, having been initiated by two women, your mother and grandmother. Has this very feminine approach influenced you?

I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by women. My mother was a designer, and my grandmother and great-grandmother were seamstresses. They held the knowledge. My mother was a strong woman, heading a family of four children, raised without assistance and in an exemplary manner. She was a fundamental source of inspiration, turning into a passion for design and fashion at an early age; as a child, I loved touching materials, cutting fabrics, shaping dresses, drawing. My grandmother passed on her knowledge, taught me all the techniques of haute couture. She was very strict; her critical gaze was infallible on the creations I showed her every week. She was demanding, precise, and she played a central role in my career. I owe her a lot in my approach to fashion. These strong women were my mentors.

Was the workshop at home?

Yes, my mother and grandmother had their workshop at home. As a child, I wasn't really allowed to enter, so I would sneak in whenever they had their backs turned. My mother had this incredible collection of Vogue patterns, sketches. I still remember enjoying watching my mother and grandmother work on the mannequins and bring the dresses to life. I practiced it myself when I was a teenager and hadn't yet acquired cutting techniques. This way of creating is one of the foundations of haute couture craftsmanship. Giving birth to a creation in this way, in three dimensions, fluidly and naturally, on the mannequin, is quite magical.

Many of your clients are strong women. But what does it mean today to be a strong woman?

I am fortunate to create for women of different cultures and ages; it's very inspiring. I like to exchange ideas with them, understand them, observe how they lead their lives. As time passes, my creations—known for being very feminine—become stronger; these are choices of elements present in my creations today, details that offer this idea of strength and femininity at the same time. I like to build this duality, starting with components that are seemingly feminine, such as the rose, for example, iconic in my creations, and making them stronger, tougher. I have realized that, despite the fact that women's success is celebrated today, they sometimes still feel the need to protect themselves, to slip into a form of armor. It's a symbolism that I work on in my creations.

Is your second haute couture collection presented today still an example of this?

Yes, it's a completely central concept. It's also this idea of a strong woman that Audemars Piguet celebrates, and I want to push it even further.

How do your clients respond to this very present idea in your creations today?

They love this evolving aspect of my style, the celebration of feminine strength, this modern, universal, and unique vision through greater sobriety, simplicity, and purity of lines.

You have maintained an interesting relationship with Audemars Piguet for a long time. Can you tell us what attracted you to the brand and what you would like to bring to it?

Audemars Piguet is an iconic brand. I love their desire to collaborate with artists around the world, to push their own creativity, to generate interesting artistic hybrids. The fact of sometimes choosing people who are not necessarily from the watchmaking industry, like me, who do not master the technical watch vocabulary but can bring new perspectives, is very interesting from the artist's or designer's point of view. Barriers are thus pushed on both sides. I found the challenge exciting but daunting. Yet, as soon as the pencil was in hand, the sketches flowed; it was a stimulating, free experience. I enjoyed working on textures, perspectives. The Royal Oak is strong and feminine, and I wanted to push the boundaries even further.

Today, women often prefer to wear men's watches. What kind of watches do you prefer to turn to?

I like women's watches but with large dials. That's why I appreciate Audemars Piguet because its models have that kind of power in their design (on that day, Tamara wore an all-gold Royal Oak with a diamond-set bezel and green dial).

The revival of your style under the banner of your new haute couture brand Tamara Ralph is a rare event in the fashion world. Few designers have had the strength and energy to start over. What compromises do you no longer accept today?

The idea of creating my brand has always been present in me. I have such a passion for fashion and haute couture… I will never stop doing what I love. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a fantastic team, and I have been for a long time. This is one of the major components of the equation that allows me to pursue this fantastic profession. And then, having given birth to my daughter three years ago was also one of my very great motivations. I would like her to look at me as a strong woman, as I myself looked at my mother and grandmother. The compromise I no longer accept? Today, I clearly separate my family and my work. I want to spend time with her. I see it; my daughter already loves what I do. She was still in my arms at the end of the first runway show last year; she likes to sit with me and draw.