Back in August, during the 81st annual Venice Film Festival, jaws dropped when Angelina Jolie hit the red carpet for the world premiere of Maria. Channeling the signature Old Hollywood glamour that the festival is known for, Jolie emerged wearing a stone, draped chiffon strapless gown, complete with a dramatic faux fur shawl. The internet instantly went wild for the look—dubbing her a “goddess,” “royalty,” and of course, “queen.” The question on everyone’s minds? Who made the retro-chic ensemble. Turns out, it was Tamara Ralph—a longtime designer to the stars, who has been taking over Hollywood lately with looks for Blake Lively, Florence Pugh, and Halle Berry.
Ralph, who cofounded the couture gown label Ralph & Russo and served as creative director until 2021, dressed everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Zendaya to, yes, Jolie, while at the helm. It’s no surprise, then, that under her new eponymous line—launched in 2022—celebrity dressing is a primary focus. “It is a business, but to work with celebrities organically is, in my opinion, the only way to ensure an authentic approach and result,” Ralph tells Vogue. “It is also critical to ensure I am aligning myself and my brand with the right talent—women who share my ethos and my values, who inspire me, and who have a voice that they use for good.”
The Tamara Ralph takeover has been especially apparent over the past month: From the Toronto International Film Festival to the Emmys, A-listers have been popping up in her formal designs—in droves. In Toronto, Lopez wore a Tamara Ralph silver mirrored column dress with side cutouts and velvet bows, while Pugh wore the designer’s pink silk taffeta gown with pleated corset detailing. At the Emmys, Rita Ora donned a pink silk double satin strapless dress with a silk chiffon cape from the label, while Eiza Gonzalez wore a sequin version with an ostrich cape. (The two looks were very similar, as noted by observers across social media. The strapless-gown-and-cape combo is a signature Tamara Ralph look). Which was Ralph’s favorite? “I could never choose!,” she says. “It is too hard and, furthermore, I don’t like to play favorites. Each moment holds special meaning for me.“
In a sea of red carpet options—where celebrities and their stylists have virtually any fashion house at their disposal—Ralph’s popularity in the space, at this exact moment, is certainly intriguing. Whereas brands like Loewe and Balenciaga are thriving by attracting stars with more avant-garde silhouettes, rebuking the idea of traditional glitz and glamour, Ralph is doubling down on the appeal of classic gowns—and her A-list clientele seems to appreciate the offering. The designer adds the Hollywood elite often come to her. “I have worked hard over my career to forge special relationships with celebrities and their teams,” she says. “In many cases, my relationship is with the celebrity directly, and we work together to create their look. In other cases, it may be through their stylist.“