By Jesse Scott
“Let me tell you a story about a girl,” the soundtrack of Tamara Ralph’s Fall/Winter 2025-26 show began. “She walked around like she ran the world.” Forever an icon of feminine fashion, Ralph consistently creates fairy tale collections that encapsulate the power of romance while celebrating all that is sensual and serene. This season continued the paradigm while also introducing new structures and volumes; inspired by the sharp geometries of art deco, Ralph proposed a wardrobe for contemporary it girls who command the attention of every room they enter while maintaining a particular feminine grace that both seduces and soothes. Entitled “La Perle Rare,” the collection possessed an almost-supernatural ethereality; while silhouettes were bold, the color palette was achingly soft, and some models seemed to float down the runway on the breath of angels.
Set in the Palais de Tokyo on the first day of Paris Fashion Week, Ralph’s show drew a who’s who of it girls from loyal clientele to celebrity supporters. Chloe LeCareux dazzled in a white jacket that perfectly aligned with the theme of the collection while newlywed Hailee Steinfeld wore a sparkling silver gown with black bow details that recalled some of Ralph’s most iconic designs from seasons past. Heart Evangelista donned a playfully fringed pink dress (one of her best looks of the week) while Gilie Biegun made a splash with a statement black necklace over a white blazer of her own. All were, in their own way, quintessentially Ralph girls… and all seemed delighted with the new series of looks which proceeded down the runway.
Cascading Pearls and Ribbons of Gold
Cream, winter white, delicate blush, and rose gold, all traditional Ralph favorites, dominated the color palette. Pearls were omnipresent throughout the collection, whether as necklaces, brooch-like details, or even as a type of breastplate (Looks 3, 24). One of the most impressive, and deceptively complex looks, was a deep V-cage dress that appeared to be made of exclusively pearl strands (Look 4). The dress’s broad shoulders were both structured and delicate, with suspended pearls swaying as the model sauntered down the runway. Other key looks included a quasi-surrealist strapless gold dress with radiant fringes and a brilliant blue silk duchesse ball gown that helped bring the show to a dramatic conclusion (Looks 10, 24).
Tamara Ralph Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26: Looks 3, 24, 4, 10, 24 (Images courtesy of Tamara Ralph)
Bridal wear is a specialty of Tamara Ralph, and her show-closing wedding gown was, as always, magnificent. A mosaic of hundreds of mother of pearl shards, the sheath was completed by a unique yet understated veil and a voluptuous train that added femininity to the dress’s ferocity (Look 35).
Tamara Ralph Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26: Looks 2, 19, 20, 35 (mages courtesy of Tamara Ralph)
As the show’s synth-filled soundtrack (“It Girl” by Kah-Lo, Karma Fields, and Associanu) implies, one does not try to become an “it girl” - one is born with it. Tamara Ralph, much like the protagonists whom she weaves her sartorial narratives around, has become that “it girl” in the European fashion scene. Ralph’s latest fairy tale, strikingly contemporary while still recalling timeless romance, epitomizes a certain Parisian je ne sais quoi. It is a couture purist’s couture. Yet far from confined to the City of Light, it is a poignant and globally transcendent vision commenting on the power and beauty of modern femininity.