Ralph Lauren had a surprise for his guests this morning. Not hot cocoa—although that would have been a nice treat after slogging through Winter Storm Pax to his remote venue. The designer is launching a new Polo collection for women, and he introduced it on his runway today. The first twenty-five looks of the show were Polo label, and it was a diverse offering. After more than four decades in business, Lauren bridges worlds. There were serape blanket coats and distressed leather bombers, a pinstripe suit, athletic outerwear in acid hues, and even what looked like a nod to grunge in the tweedy tailoring he mixed with floral silk dresses and plaid scarves. All recognizably Lauren but with a casual, easy spirit that was unusual for the designer s fashion week runway. Leggings paired with patent Mary Janes and rag wool socks worn with platform sandals reinforced the idea that the new collection is aimed at a young crowd.
The lights dimmed in between the show s first and second acts, but there was no mistaking Polo for the Ralph Lauren portion of this outing, which was as elegant as they come, and the designer s finest work in some time. Even his jogging pants looked refined. This wasn t a collection about loungewear, per se—more than forty years of experience means Lauren can leave the trend-chasing to other designers. However, he did put an emphasis on the tactile pleasures that clothing as fine as his can produce, opting for a soothing monochrome palette of pastels and grays (not unlike at his Pre-Fall collection) and rich materials like cashmere, brushed suede, satin pongee, and Mongolian lamb. Who would say no to a cashmere wrap coat in winter white, with one side slung over the opposite shoulder just so?
That easeful mood carried over from day to evening, where a snug turtleneck paired with a long jersey skirt slit all the way up one leg looked new for Lauren. Silk jersey also found its way onto gowns, although the best look was a little more formal. We d love to see his pale pink lamé strapless evening dress at the Oscars next month.
