After the Show, a Very Ralph Lauren Dinner to Celebrate the Brand’s West Coast Moment 

Noe DeWitt

“World of”—it’s an internal shorthand term used among the workforce at Ralph Lauren, some of them lifelong loyalists. It stands for all things Ralph Lauren; not just the clothing, but the all-encompassing multitudes that comprise the world of Mr. Lauren, delivered in such a way that they could have only hailed from his universe, cultivated and reinforced over the last half-century. They range from the minutia, such as a particular wattage and warmth of a lightbulb or a bit of extra starch in the dinner napkins, to the incredibly grand. 

It all came to life on Thursday evening in Pasadena, where the grandeur befitted the significance of the night as the first-ever West Coast runway show. It was also Mr. Lauren’s first-ever visit to Southern California, where his legions of celebrity fans—Jennifer Lopez Ben Affleck, Diane Keaton, Laura Dern, Jessica Chastain, Chris Pine, Maggie Rogers, and many, many more—were there to greet him with open arms. Unfolding across all corners of The Huntington Botanical Gardens, guests were welcomed by a troupe of dashing waiters serving cocktails, garnished with miniature polo mallets, atop polished silver trays before a staggering 122 looks paraded the runway to an appropriately laid back, West Coast soundtrack. 

“When it all comes together like this, and my entire family can be here, and our entire company can be here, it’s a high that you can’t believe, and I’m still trying to internalize everything,” David Lauren told Vogue. “You look around and it’s joyous. We have come through a very difficult period of suffering, and the opportunity to see families together with beautiful clothes on such a joyous night feels like the return of elegance and hopefulness. It’s just the spirit of what America can be, and what the American dream could be.” 

Following the show, guests were directed toward the adjacent rose garden to find it had been transformed to host a seated dinner. The scene was entirely bedecked with Ralph Lauren Home wares, from the flatware and monogrammed charger plates to the table clothes, cushions, and brass hurricanes that cast a poetic candlelit glow across the space. Mr. Lauren, sporting a matching white linen ensemble alongside wife Ricky, was welcomed with thunderous applause, fielding congratulations through tears before taking his seat and enjoying a menu of signature delights from The Polo Bar. Though, in an about-face from the expected staunch formality of the night’s festivities, diners were served the eatery’s often-lauded cheeseburger and fries, leaving this crowd of partygoers feeling equal parts well-fed and well-dressed, the American dream indeed.