Ralph Lauren Brings the Runway to His Office
Ralph Lauren’s knack for world-building is next to none, with every store, restaurant, and show space oozing elegant American nostalgia. It’s no surprise, then, that the brand’s offices are no different. I remember entering HQ as a young intern picking up garment bags and being floored at the sheer glamour around me: wood-paneled walls, plush carpeting, and fresh-cut flowers on every table. For the fall/holiday 2024 runway, the doors of 650 Madison Avenue were opened to guests, bringing them close to the heart of Ralph Lauren’s design studio and what is near and dear to the iconic designer. Leather-lined seats with chrome finishes awaited select A-listers, while considered lighting set the mood and assorted artworks from Lauren’s personal collection decorated the walls. The atmosphere gave the feel of a private meeting or salon-style show, harkening back to his first-ever collection in 1972, presented in a very similar manner.
What speaks to the man behind the label is fashion that speaks for itself, that doesn’t follow the whims of trends but stands strong in its timelessness. Fitting, in that case, to have industry veteran Christy Turlington Burns open the show in a double-breasted cashmere coat with crisp trousers and a shirt and tie underneath, all in a dusty gray hue. Tailoring is a cornerstone of the Ralph Lauren business—and not just on the men’s side. Women come for a sharp double-breasted jacket and pants, shown here in both pinstriped wool and brown suede. The color palette of the evening didn’t stray far from beige, tan, brown, or black, save for the slinky metallic dresses that breathed new life into the runway and are sure to hit red carpets soon.
Models backstage at Ralph Lauren’s fall/holiday 2024 show.
Lauren’s penchant for Western-inspired clothing goes backs decades, showing that brands who are getting in on the cowboy craze now are finally catching up with his forward-thinking ideas. Plush fringed ponchos and massive cowboy belt buckles abounded, bringing Aspen to the Upper East Side, and patchwork embroideries gave a textural feel to everyday jackets. Another touchstone for the brand is old Hollywood glamour, which Ralph has never shied away from, bringing his flair for drama and ease to bias-cut gowns in rich rose-colored silks.
The standout shimmery dresses were shown on newcomer Angelina Kendall and supermodel-of-the-moment Anok Yai, who closed the show in a halter-neck gold dress that sashayed and draped just so with the curvature of her walk, and a brown cowboy hat to top it all off. Ralph Lauren’s clothes are never going to make you sacrifice comfort, even in the sharpest of tailoring, because he knows his customer needs fashion without fuss, elegance without stricture, and clothes that go beyond seasons. It’s why he’s the ultimate success story, and one is lucky to get close enough to the clothes in such an intimate way, where they really speak for themselves.