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NEW YORK CITY: The last time Ralph Lauren hosted a runway show was in September 2019 when the American designer transformed an Art Deco, Wall Street ballroom into a jazz-age nightclub called “Ralph’s Club.” Last night, and after two-and-a-half years away from the runway, the designer staged his homecoming in the comforts of his Park Avenue living room, or rather a replica, inside the sleek Museum of Modern Art for his Fall/Winter 2022 show.
The brand’s choice to host the runway experience a month after New York Fashion Week added to the intimate feel of the show, where celebrity friends and guests were welcomed “home,” inside the intimate space. Guests were immersed into the luxe lifestyle of Ralph Lauren, settling into steel-armed lounge chairs, or deeply inviting white couches while champagne and canapés were passed (where handfuls of M&M’s always generously supplied).
Although a joyous moment of reuniting friends of the brand like Janelle Monáe, Jessica Chastain and Lily Collins with new faces, including Polo by Ralph Lauren’s latest star, Angus Cloud, and New York City’s new mayor Eric Adams, Lauren reflected on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine in his show notes.
“When I decided months ago to share my Fall/Winter 2022 Collection in this intimate experience, there was no war in Ukraine,” the designer said in the press release. “The tragedy and devastation we are witnessing now was unthinkable. Back then all I could think about was coming back together with my teams and all of you to share the hopefulness that collaboration and creativity can inspire. So, in the midst of this sadness, we go forward united in our hope for peace, and our hope for the end of this pandemic and a return to being together. I am so proud to be with you again sharing not only a collection, but an optimism for living that respects the dignity of all.”
The collection was quintessentially Ralph Lauren. The designer stuck to his signature brand codes that have made his label a legacy in American fashion since 1967. Gigi Hadid opened the show in a monogram sweater tucked into a pair of pleated pants. The rest of the model line-up included catwalk veterans Shalom Harlow, Laetitia Casta and Tyson Beckford, who walked the runway alongside a multigenerational cast of models including including Taylor Hill, Vittoria Cerreti and James Turlington (yes, Christy Turlington’s nephew). The majority of the collection followed a monochromatic black and white palette, with the brand’s signature red accent scattered throughout, and read as a love letter to Lauren’s beloved New York City.
When it came to accessories, the brand’s classics were given a modern touch. The celeb-fave Wellington bag style was redesigned in alligator print with gold hardware. For the evening, the Deco Frame bag was introduced in velvet and calfskin with embroidered detailing, and the Ricky bag was reimagined as a velvet clutch with leather detailing and gold monogram stitching.
Standouts from the collection included: asymmetrical body-con evening gowns, fair isle printed dresses and parkas reimagined in sequins, as well as fabulously elevated sportswear pieces, equally at home at your ski chalet or Montana ranch.
To close out the show, Cerreti exited in a black tux accessorised with a Yankees baseball cap and bomber jacket, further indicating Lauren’s homage to his birthplace and longtime inspiration. Long live New York.
