As a broke sales assistant in his early 20s, Ralph Lauren would drive to the eastern end of Long Island just to breathe the affluent air. The son of Jewish immigrants grew up in the Bronx and now has a net worth of $7bn (£5.3bn). For many, his story is the epitome of the American dream.
So it felt fitting that Thursday night’s show of his latest collection, which kicked off New York fashion week, stuck to the classics, including Lauren’s polo player logo which has become the symbol of American style.
The show took place at a sprawling equestrian centre in the Hamptons, the New York beachside resort that is a playground for the rich and famous. Lauren has been described as the Walt Disney of fashion for his skill in selling a fantasy – an all-encompassing dream lifestyle. Thursday’s spectacle felt like stepping on to the ultimate Lauren film set.
There were white picket fences, clapboard houses, gleaming vintage cars, miniature corned beef sandwiches, glossy thoroughbred horses and an even glossier guest list that spanned Hollywood stars to Olympians and the US first lady.
Before the show started Jill Biden, who regularly wears the brand, chatted with Vogue’s Anna Wintour and the British actor Tom Hiddleston outside a stable, while Jude Law, Laura Dern, Naomi Watts and the singers Rufus Wainwright and Usher watched a showjumping display. The riders wore Ralph Lauren logo-ed polo shirts. Instead of a red carpet, celebrities posed for photographers in a tack room.
In his show notes, Lauren described the Hamptons as “more than a place” and made references to the salty sea breeze and sandy dunes which formed a backdrop to “his most cherished family memories”. The collection included womenswear, menswear and childrenswear from three of his sub-brands – Ralph Lauren Collection, Purple Label and Polo Ralph Lauren – and featured more than 100 looks with clothing for every eventuality in the wealthy resort.
There were denim cutoffs and sun-bleached button downs for lazy days at the beach and glamorous evening wear for parties at luxury homes. Meanwhile, suave suiting gave a nod to The Great Gatsby (Lauren designed the costumes for the 1974 film). While much of the show was rooted in nostalgia, Lauren pared back some of his more traditional tropes of Americana. Instead of cowboy hats, which have become synonymous with the Maga set, there were baseball caps.
Check prints and fringing added a refined touch to western-inspired pieces and while the equestrian touches were literal – belts were fastened from horse bits – they had that all-important ability to go viral.
A big part of the brand’s appeal is that its pieces have longevity. Its soft cotton polo shirts look even better with age and preppy blazers can be passed from one generation to the next, the antithesis of throwaway fast fashion. It is this outlook that is enticing gen Z. Brightly coloured rugby shirts and silky cargo pants seemed aimed at this cohort. There was also an American flag sweater that originally debuted in 1985 and most recently was worn by Ella Emhoff, the 25-year-old stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, at the recent Democratic national convention.
Lauren took his bow in an Olympics closing ceremony jacket (he was the official outfitter of Team USA.) Afterwards, a curtain fell back to reveal a full recreation of Lauren’s NYC Polo Bar. Complete with coffered wood ceilings and leather banquette seating that took more than four weeks to complete.