Angelina Jolie stunned people when she hit the red carpet at the 81st Venice Film Festival in August for the world premiere of Maria. Channeling the festival’s signature old Hollywood glamour, Jolie wore a strapless, stone-draped chiffon dress with a dramatic faux-fur shawl. The internet immediately went wild for the look, calling her a “goddess,” “royalty,” and, of course, a “queen.” The question on everyone’s mind was, who designed the retro-chic ensemble? It turned out to be Tamara Ralph, a longtime designer who has worked with the stars and has recently taken Hollywood by storm with looks for Blake Lively, Florence Pugh, and Halle Berry.
Co-founder of couture dress label Ralph & Russo, where she served as creative director until 2021, Ralph has dressed everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Zendaya and, of course, Jolie during her time at the helm. So it’s no surprise that dressing celebrities will be a major focus for her new namesake line, which launches in 2022. “This is a business, but I believe working with celebrities organically is the only way to ensure an authentic approach and results,” Ralph told Vogue. “It’s also important to align myself and my brand with the right people – women who share my beliefs and values, who inspire me and who speak up for good.”
Tamara Ralph Blake Lively
Video: Getty Images
Tamara Ralph’s craze has been especially evident over the past month, with A-list celebrities turning out in droves in her formal designs, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Emmy Awards. In Toronto, Lopez wore a Tamara Ralph silver mirrored column dress with side cut-outs and velvet bows, while Pugh wore the designer’s pink silk taffeta gown with pleated corset detailing. At the Emmys, Rita Ora teamed a pink silk double satin strapless dress from the label with a silk chiffon cape, while Eiza Gonzalez teamed a sequined version with an ostrich cape. (The two looks were very similar, according to social media observers; the strapless gown-and-cape combo is a Tamara Ralph signature look.) Which Ralph was your favorite? “I can’t pick!” she says. “It’s too hard, and I don’t like to play favorites. Each moment has a special meaning to me.”
With a glut of red carpet options, celebrities and their stylists are free to choose from virtually any fashion house. That makes Ralph’s popularity right now intriguing. While brands like Loewe and Balenciaga have found success spurning traditional glitz and glamour in favor of more avant-garde silhouettes that lure stars, Ralph has doubled down on classic dresses, and her A-list clientele seems to appreciate the offering. Ralph adds that Hollywood’s elite come to her frequently. “Throughout my career, I’ve worked hard to build special relationships with celebrities and their teams,” she says. “In many cases, I have a direct relationship with the celebrity and we work together to style them. In other cases, it may be through a stylist.”
