Ralph Lauren returns to runway in a show of relaxed luxury

His models, including Gigi and Bella Hadid, meandered through guests seated on couches and black easy chairs wearing classic tailored white trousers and jackets, cocktail attire and slinky, sequined evening dresses. There were pops of black leather, pinstripes, and plaid in red and black, with a smattering of elevated riding gear and ski-inspired Nordic knits.

The show of opulence for his fall/winter women’s collection and his latest for the high-end Purple Label for men was conceived months before war broke out in Ukraine, Lauren acknowledged in his notes. At the time, he said, “The tragedy and devastation we are witnessing now was unthinkable.”

Guests were asked to dress in cocktail attire, sipping Champagne and nibbling hors d’oeuvre as Jessica Chastain, Henry Golding, Janelle Monáe, Mayor Eric Adams (in a hand-painted overcoat) and other notables had their pictures snapped by an unusually small contingent of photographers.

Lauren had intimate togetherness on his mind after he took a pandemic break, so he pared down his crowd and went for a relaxed vibe amid coffee tables appointed with stacked books and objets d’art.