Rustle up your riding boots: For Fall, Ralph Lauren organized a Highlands hunting trip, complete with glen plaids, cashmere jodhpurs, sweeping carriage coats, and swaggering horse-blanket capes. It was inspired by what he called a "modern shooting party," but of course it will work perfectly for those whose idea of the great outdoors is the jaunt from townhouse to town car.
Lauren s women s collections are at their polished, elegant best when he weaves haberdashery into the more feminine elements. The jackets of three-piece plaid suits had a peplum kick, and the matching pants a fitted cut far sexier and more youthful than last season s pinstripes. Finely tailored blazers were paired with soft leggings on the runway, but there were also slim suede pants to satisfy clients in search of more structure. After the loden-and-olive opening, Lauren moved into rich black velvets, some embellished with gold braid and bullion, in keeping with the show s horsey inspirations.
For evening, the designer s theme was at its most literal, and least persuasive, in patchwork taffeta tartans. And we ve seen the gold-and-crystal-embroidered tulle dresses that closed the show before; they re flirty, if a trifle light. A black satin column with a high neck and a dramatic bare back, on the other hand, is the last word in urban-huntress chic.
