The Fusion of Haute Couture and High-End Watches: Tamara Ralph x Audemars Piguet Limited Edition Collaboration

2024-02-07 03:53:10

What would it be like to design high-end watches as haute couture? Audemars Piguet, the favorite Swiss high-end watch brand among collectors, has invited haute couture designer Tamara Ralph to join forces to create the first limited edition cross-border designer work in 2024. The following will introduce you to this haute couture aesthetic and watch. An encounter with table craftsmanship.

Tamara Ralph, re-write her name in the world of haute couture
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Even if you don’t know the name Tamara Ralph, you must have heard of her first high-end brand, Ralph & Russo. Ralph & Russo was founded in London in 2010 and was recognized by the French Haute Couture Association just 4 years later. It also makes Tamara Ralph the first female creative director in London to be invited to participate in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in the past century (and the first Australian to receive this recognition in history).

Tamara Ralph from Sydney is the fourth generation of couture designers in her family, and fashion is in her blood. In order to break into the fashion world, she came to London alone at the age of 23. At first, she always wore her own clothes to socialize and became her most competent spokesperson. Later, during her 11 years as co-founder and creative director of Ralph & Russo, she worked on Beyoncé’s “Mrs. Carter” tour, Angelina Jolie’s knighthood, Meghan Markle’s engagement photos, etc. Tailor-made clothing for classic occasions, her work can be seen on the red carpet from celebrity weddings to Met ball.

Although she parted ways with her ex-partner and business partner Michael Russo in 2021 and decisively left the brand, she quickly regained her composure and founded the eponymous high-end brand Tamara Ralph the following year. With the nutrients she gained over the past ten years, this time What you have to tell is your own story. The Tamara Ralph brand workshop is still in London today. Although the team size is smaller than before, all of them are employees who worked at Ralph & Russo in the past; and the design style is much stronger and more mature than the gentle and graceful in the past. , simple attitude; in addition, this time she is not satisfied with just doing fashion, but also wants to become a lifestyle brand, and the cooperation with AP Watch is a significant first step.

Tamara Ralph x Audemars Piguet The birth of a “haute couture” watch
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During the 2024 Spring and Summer Haute Couture Fashion Week, the work designed by Tamara Ralph for Audemars Piguet was unveiled on the runway for the first time – the flying tourbillon “Tamara Ralph” limited edition watch from the Royal Oak Concept series is limited to the world. 102 pieces are issued, and the layered design craftsmanship seems to decorate the wrist with an exclusive “haute couture uniform.”

The first time you see this 38.5mm watch, you will be attracted by its 18K rose gold case and the rippled surface underneath. This watch case uses the “Frost Gold Jewelry Craftsmanship” derived from the ancient Florentine gold hammering technology. The K gold watch case is gently hammered with a diamond hammer to create tiny depressions on the surface, which captures the light. It will give off a delicate luster. After being reinterpreted by Italian jewelry designer Carolina Bucci and transformed by the masterful hands of Audemars Piguet craftsmen, frost gold technology has adorned many Audemars Piguet watches since 2016, and it has become the protagonist in this work.

As for the multi-layered surface, it is decorated with a satin sunray pattern and is layered with gradient tones and smooth curves of brown, bronze and gold, which contrast with the angular octagonal bezel, hexagonal crown and hexagonal stainless steel screws. From the frosted gold luster, matte polished, bright polished metal, to the alligator leather strap with pearlescent large square scales, and the 19 brilliant-cut diamonds inlaid on the surface disc, this watch has The various textures are full of layers and very harmonious, and every detail is thought-provoking.

The 2964 manual winding movement hidden under the smart appearance is not simple either. The flying tourbillon constantly rotating at the six o’clock position not only improves the accuracy of travel time, but is also a symbol of excellent watchmaking craftsmanship, allowing you to appreciate the superb technology that only a few masters in the world can master at close range on your wrist.

Below is our exclusive interview with Tamara Ralph.

HR: How did your upbringing shape your identity as a couture designer?

“While that is no longer the case, at the time Australia was very far away from the luxury industry, so it was always a dream of mine to develop in Europe – I knew that would be the place where I would be free to realize my couture dream. My grandmother and My great-grandmothers were all haute couture craftsmen who dedicated their lives to haute couture, and I fell in love with it. My grandmother also taught me all the techniques she knew and asked me to practice again and again until I made the perfect finished product. ——That shaped my understanding of perfect couture craftsmanship.”

HR: Can you share with us your creative process?

“Creating for me is an evolving process. You may start with an idea, but as the idea starts flowing, it may develop into something different. I usually start in a single direction and develop a wider story and drawing the artwork at the same time. I also like to explore the techniques of how to realize these ideas in the process, because design and craft are inseparable, it may affect the picture in your mind during the process, or push you to Break the boundaries of some technologies – therefore, a high-end collection is not always about a story or theme, fabrics and technology may also become the protagonists – but of course, the story behind it is what makes the work connect in people’s hearts key.”

HR: How do you balance facing the reality of the limitations of your skills while allowing your imagination to run wild?

“I always want to do something I haven’t tried before, from designing couture dresses to designing high-end watches, so I think the most important thing is the willingness to challenge the limits of my own creativity and innovation, because that is what will lead the brand forward in the long run. However, I am also very lucky to have a team of perfectionist craftsmen. We are like a big family. Every time I go to them with wild ideas, they will not Resist the challenge.”

HR: Between complete self-expression and meeting customer needs, which one brings you a greater sense of accomplishment?

“Honestly, I think it comes from a combination of the two. When we present the collection on the runway, I have the freedom to express the vision of the brand, my personal vision, and tell the story of women that is unique to this season and that we want to emphasize; But at the same time, half of my pieces are designs that have never been seen on the runway and are tailor-made for a special customer. What I love most about couture is that it is very personal and you have to have a dialogue with the customer. Get to know them, get to know them, and then use your own creativity to express the best side of them, sometimes even the side they can’t see.”

HR: What is the biggest difference between Tamara Ralph, which was born in 2022, and your first brand, Ralph & Russo?

“It’s so rare to have a vision that’s completely unique and your own, and I also feel like it has a more fearless, feminine tone – something that resonates with many of my loyal customers. Of course it’s It is also an exciting opportunity for me, because as an entrepreneur and creative director at the same time, I have to constantly challenge myself in all aspects, and the cooperation with Audemars Piguet is a perfect example.”

HR: Operating a haute couture brand in a world dominated by fast fashion, how do you hope to reaffirm the value of haute couture?

“Although today’s fashion world moves very fast and the fast fashion industry is huge, ‘classic’ will always be an evergreen product – people know that being able to truly cherish a piece of work and pass it on to their daughters is a great achievement. What a special experience. Not only that, I also find that the age of high-end consumers is getting younger and younger, which just proves that the younger generation knows how to appreciate sustainable and timeless works.”

HR: Can you tell us about this cooperation with Audemars Piguet?

“My love for haute couture comes from combining creativity and technology, and Audemars Piguet agrees with me on this point. I respect and admire this brand very much. They are pioneers in the field of fine watchmaking. This cooperation is the most important The great thing is that our core values ​​are so similar, but our creative fields are so different, it makes for a successful collaboration. Audemars Piguet always invites artists and designers outside the watchmaking field to collaborate, and I believe that maybe The femininity in their designs resonated with them and is the direction they hope to see in their future work.”

HR: Although both are displays of extreme craftsmanship, haute couture and high-end watches don’t seem to appear in the same set of women’s looks so often. How do you hope to change this through this collaboration?

“I want everyone to know that haute couture and high-end watches can completely go together. It was only when I was designing the watch this time that I realized that the design process of the two is actually very similar – I found myself obsessed with I can’t stop drawing design drawings. Maybe it’s because I come from a high-end customization background, so I feel that everything is possible. I like to mix different fabrics and colors when designing high-end customization, and I also try to combine this. Integrated into watch design.”

HR: So how would you describe the final product?

“I usually like to mix and match different colors and textures when matching clothes and accessories in private, so I mixed many different colors and metal treatments in this watch work, while also showing my creative aesthetics – very feminine and Strong, classic but also modern, I think this is very consistent with the spirit of the Royal Oak series with its long history and continuous innovation.”

>>Click here to make an appointment for appreciationAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Series Flying Tourbillon “Tamara Ralph” Limited Edition Watch