Another designer duo in their fall-winter haute couture collection turned to the theme of interior decor. While Karl Lagerfeld under glass arches of Grand Palais recreated Versailles, imagining how the residence of the Sun King may have looked after its modernization by the famous architect-urbanist Le Corbusier, and Elie Saab invited the audience to the ball under the lights of chandeliers in a Parisian palace, the British Ralph & Russo drew inspiration from works of castles and museums interiors photographer Massimo Listri.

In an interview to Vogue UK the creative director of the house Tamara Ralph said that she imagined her character in Ralph & Russo couture dresses in halls and enfilades of rooms in Massimo photos. Lush garments excellently fit in the royal ambience. Voluminous ball gowns of duchesse satin and gauze breathe luxury; bustier dresses with layered ruffles – skirt basques, trimmed in front, bring extravagance and modernity into the classics of evening dresses; tender flutter of thin feathers, quivering in the wind like the wings of butterflies, gives lightness and romance to the image.

Tamara emphasizes that she is not nostalgic about the past, her character is modern and the elegance she radiates is timeless. Interiors of Listri are primarily a tribute to tradition, craftsmanship and savoir-faire, without which modern haute couture is inconceivable.

Photo credits: Ralph & Russo / Richard Bord