“On the eve of her coronation, a young Tsarina sheds off her priceless tiara and flicks lose her hair. She storms out to search haunting forests for her Rasputin”. The first line of the annotation to the new autumn couture collection of Ralph & Russo perfectly sums up its spirit. Entirely liquid gold, crystals inlays and pearl mosaics, jokes aside – the English design duo reaches a new level, loudly declaring their right to the very top of the fashion Olympus based in Paris.

Oval motifs here are inspired by the forms of Faberge eggs and translucent silk muslin is a “perfect suit” for Salomé’s Dance of the Seven Veils. A woman-queen or a woman-goddess in all her glory – the heroine of Ralph & Russo does not accept halftones. However, when the press note mentions legendary couture artisans Lesage, and among fashion house’s customers count the super-woman Angelina Jolie and the world-famous Middle East fashionista Sheikha Mozah, positioning oneself lower it would just be indecent.

Photo credits: Ralph & Russo / Richard Bord – Getty Images