Tamara Ralph turned her gaze to South Asia, whence her husband hails, finding ample inspiration in the layered jewelry and asymmetric sari silhouettes she found there. “It’s a subtle hint towards a region that holds a place in my heart,” said the Australian designer backstage before her show.
The slant of her one-shouldered pieces — a white crêpe layered design with fringed edging or a one-sided organza train that draped across the front of a gown, for instance — offered a less structured touch while staying true to brand.
She integrated such nods into her lavish lexicon of corseted hourglass shapes in which she channeled archetypes of old-world couture in a manner not to disappoint her many admirers.
Her signature pearl latticework and edging details featured once more, but she built on that register with strand upon strand of gold chains, hanging cape-like across the shoulders, in allover embroidered baguette embellishments on dresses, and as fringing that dangled below the hemlines of her bejeweled gowns. “Every look feels like a jewel in motion,” read the show notes.
The color palette was made up largely of pastels and neutrals this season, from the palest champagne or ivory to a vivid pistachio, alongside plenty of gold and silver. They came alongside the deep midnight velvet tailored gowns that are core to her lineup and a multitude of dresses and tailored separates in black lace, a fabric Ralph chose to toy with more this season.
Among the most striking pieces was an exoskeleton-like bra top evoking roses in enamel on gold metal, paired with a matching appliqué skirt and a pale green satin opera coat, a dramatic style she paired with several looks this season.
