Ralph Lauren showed his Resort collection on the runway for the first time ever this morning, in the second-floor salon of his Madison Avenue flagship. Lauren has made a career out of destination collections—Aspen, Africa, England, Spain. Designers love to do that kind of thing for Resort, but today s lineup had a polish that felt distinctly urban. If he looked anywhere for inspiration, it could ve been a few blocks west, to New York s Lincoln Center. Ballet pink and black were the show s prevailing colors, and stretch bodysuit dressing its dominant message.
It carried over from the cashmere wrap top, racer-back tank, and fluttery georgette skirt he opened with to the blazer and trousers he layered over a second-skin turtleneck. Lilac was the collection s only other color. It made a big impact on a reversible suede wrap coat. Also sit-up-and-take-notice-worthy amid all of the solid color was a pair of black-and-white printed and pleated silk dresses. The one whose pleats were accented with strips of leather particularly resonated.
Lauren s shows usually end on an opulent note, with a series of high evening dresses. This time around, he opted out of beads, sequins, and lace. It s too far to call the slim black silk cady gowns sporty, or even athletic, but they were appealingly streamlined, especially the long-sleeve version with the plunging neckline.
