It’s the biggest question in the fashion world right now – which designer will dress Meghan Markle on her wedding day?
Right now, there are two words in the box seat, after a Royal insider revealed ‘Meghan has chosen Ralph & Russo’ just last week.
As the speculation surrounding the design duo mounts, FEMAIL takes a look at the Australian-born, London-dwelling Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo of Ralph and Russo’s designs, fan base and history.
With prices starting at a cool AUD $52,000 (GBP £30,000; USD $41,000) and customers admitted by appointment only, the label would be a fitting choice for Meghan Markle this May – who is expected to combine Royal traditions with Hollywood glamour.
It’s been rumoured that Meghan Markle (pictured with Prince Harry at her engagement shoot in Ralph & Russo) has opted for Australian-born design duo, Ralph & Russo, for her wedding day
The label was founded in 2007 by Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo (both pictured) – Tamara had come to London in hopes of breaking into the fashion industry when she met fellow Australian, Michael, who was working as a banker at the time
Ralph and Russo was founded in 2007 by Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo.
At the time, Michael was an Australian banker who was working in London and enjoyed a chance meeting with Tamara, a graduate from the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Melbourne who had travelled to London in hopes of breaking into the fashion industry.
The pair soon fell in love and founded Ralph & Russo, which specialises in elaborate and beautiful couture dresses, studded with crystals and embellishments and floor-sweeping trains.
Since founding the label in 2007, Ralph & Russo have gone on to base themselves in a seven-storey Mayfair salon overlooking the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
The design duo have moved from success to success and in 2014, Ralph & Russo was the first British fashion house to be invited to the Paris couture shows in a century.
They are also said to be growing by around 400 per cent per year.
Ralph & Russo has enjoyed huge success since its launc; it specialises in elaborate and beautiful couture dresses, studded with crystals and embellishments and floor-sweeping trains (pictured: their Spring/Summer 2018 couture collection)
Meghan plumped for the London-based design duo when she wore this dress for her engagement photo shoot in late 2017 (pictured) – the silk tulle and organza creation was priced at AUD $98,675 (GBP £55,980; USD $77,579)
Were Meghan to plump for Ralph & Russo, it wouldn’t surprise some.
The soon-to-be Duchess has already opted for one of the duo’s fairy tale designs, when she wore a beautiful silk organza and tulle transparent gown in her official engagement photos.
Priced at AUD $98,675 (GBP £55,980; USD $77,579), the dress drew plaudits from the fashion world – who commented on the delicate nature of the silk tulle ruffles, the gown’s transparent bodice and its beautiful stitching.
Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo of Ralph & Russo
* Tamara Ralph, age 36, had just graduated from the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Melbourne when she travelled to London in hopes of breaking into the fashion industry and met Michael Russo.
The company has offices in Paris and London, and a roster of more than 600 clients (pictured: the Spring/Summer 2018 collection)
* At the time, fellow Australian, Michael Russo was working as a banker in London.
* Tamara is the fourth generation in her family to work in couture and fashion design.
* The pair quickly hit it off, fell in love and launched Ralph & Russo in 2007. Their headquarters are situated in a seven-storey building in Mayfair overlooking Buckingham Palace.
* Among other accolades, Ralph & Russo was the first British fashion house to be invited to the Paris couture shows in a century. They are said to be growing at around 400 per cent per year.
* According to the Business of Fashion, the couple’s business has been profitable since its inception and filled a gap in the market in London, a highly affluent fashion hub without a local couture provider.
* In 2013, the couple were the only representatives from the fashion industry on Forbes’ annual list of the 40 most successful people under 40.
* Today, the company has offices in Paris and London, and a roster of more than 600 clients.
* Celebrity fans include actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, soon-to-be-Duchess, Meghan Markle, pop star, Rihanna, and Angelina Jolie, who opted for a Ralph & Russo dove-grey suit when she met Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 and was named an Honorary Dame.
* They are known for heavily embellished, luxury couture designs – with prices starting at a cool AUD $52,000 (GBP £30,000; USD $41,000) and customers admitted by appointment only.
There are countless celebrities who love the label (pictured), including pop star, Rihanna, actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce and more
Angelina Jolie opted for a Ralph & Russo dove-grey suit when she met Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 (both pictured) and was named an Honorary Dame
The former Suits actress isn’t the only high-profile Ralph & Russo fan either.
Pop star, Rihanna, loves the label, while actress, Angelina Jolie, opted for a Ralph & Russo dove-grey suit when she met Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 and was named an Honorary Dame.
Elsewhere, fellow actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, has worn the label to the 2015 Oscars, and Beyonce wore a specially-created striped sheer one-piece on her Mrs Carter world tour.
This all comes as rumours have been circulating that a total of AUD $705,000 (GBP £400,000; USD $554,000) has been spent on beauty and fashion for Meghan’s big day – with the bulk of it spent on the dress.
This all comes as rumours have been circulating that a total of AUD $705,000 (GBP £400,000; USD $554,000) has been spent on beauty and fashion for Meghan’s (pictured) big day – with the bulk of it spent on the dress
Speaking of the Meghan effect, Michael Russo admitted: ‘She’s definitely added to our worldwide appeal’, but refused to elaborate further (pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement photos’
Earlier this year, Ralph & Russo showcased their Spring 2018 couture collection, which featured among other sumptuous creations, an off-white double duchess confection with a draped bodice, floral ruching, pearlescent micro-beads, 3-D Swarovski jewelled leaves, silk flowers and metallic silk thread embellishments.
Their dresses are notoriously bespoke and one-of-a-kind – some take upwards of 3,500 hours to make and feature hundreds of metres of silk tulle.
‘She’s definitely added to our worldwide appeal,’ Michael said of the Meghan effect in a pre-show interview – before politely declining to answer more questions around the Duchess.
A spokesperson from the label also commented to the Daily Mail on the subject of dressing Meghan for her wedding, saying: ‘We will be politely declining to comment on this topic’.
In February, the betting for Meghan’s wedding gown was suspended, after the house of McQueen – who dressed Kate Middleton – suddenly became the runaway favourite (pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement photos)
In February, the betting for Meghan’s wedding gown was suspended, after the house of McQueen – who dressed Kate Middleton on her wedding day – suddenly became the runaway favourite.
The odds for the brand designing the royal bridal gown changed from 16/1 to 8/1 overnight.
However, this latest tip may see the popularity of Ralph & Russo soar even higher. Who Meghan Markle chooses remains to be seen…