March 24, 2022 |
For his first post-pandemic live fashion show, Ralph Lauren invited the fashion folk into his home, high above Central Park – or rather a recreation of his living room inside New York’s Museum of Modern Art, complete with the designer’s favourite coffee table books and Art Deco leather and chrome armchairs, whilst floor-to-ceiling photographs showed views of the city from Lauren’s vantage point.
Rising from humble beginnings in the Bronx to become one of fashion’s most successful taste-makers, Lauren is the living embodiment of the American Dream. If you want to know what success looks like, he’s your man.
The collection was a celebration of his iconic elegance and style. The looks came mostly in monochrome – all the better, said the designer, to show off his lean, sleek, tailored silhouettes. Although he’d originally conceived it as a feel-good fashion moment for a world emerging from a pandemic, it was shown it in the shadow of the Ukraine war. Lauren said his intention was to, “share the hopefulness that collaboration and creativity can inspire. 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.” As for that American dream, Lauren put it into context and redefined it for today. “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.” A multigenerational, multiracial cast gloried in Lauren’s signature, effortless elegance. Gigi Hadid performed her famous hair flick, whilst Bella Hadid, Shalom Harlow and Tyson Beckford showed off classic Lauren looks, from crystal Fair Isle knits to boardroom ready suiting.
He closed the show with a look that neatly summed up his contribution to fashion. Bringing sportswear together with his polished vision, Vittoria Ceretti wore a New York Yankees baseball cap and varsity jacket over her tuxedo. Living the dream.
Photography courtesy of Isidore Montag.
