When Billionaires Need Custom Clothes, Ralph & Russo Are Here

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their engagement photos to the public in 2017, the future Duchess of Sussex’s long-sleeved gown with a sheer top and tulle skirt sparked an instant controversy. It was modern, glamorous, and, at £56,000 ($68,112), incredibly expensive. To the Daily Mirror, it was “racier than what we’re used to.”

But to the low-profile fashion house Ralph & Russo, it was a royal coup. Creative director Tamara Ralph had founded the business in 2010 with then-boyfriend, now-fiancé Michael Russo. A fourth-generation couturier and native of Sydney, she sold her first piece, a skirt, at age 12. Up until Markle, though, the duo had catered to billionaire clients out of a seven-floor, 19th century townhouse in London’s Mayfair district in a rather quiet fashion.