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Let’s play a game of word association. If I say Ralph Lauren, what springs to mind? Preppiness, horses, maybe a rugged country landscape and a family of impossibly good-looking people in the advertising campaigns? As one of America’s fashion forefathers, Ralph Lauren (or Ralph Lipchitz, as he was born) has created a universe around this idyllic vision of the American lifestyle, complete with practical yet polished clothes that signal a certain status. But for the heritage brand’s spring/summer 2027 show, those associations were tucked beneath something far more glamorous. “An irreverent take on romance that creates a new elegance,” is how the designer described the collection which kicked off New York Fashion Week in unusually flamboyant style.
The show, presented on the first day of New York Fashion Week, reimagined the made-for-living codes Ralph Lauren has become known for, cranking up the octane with overtly feminine pieces that were decadent and dramatic. At first glance, Ralph Lauren’s signature was obscured. Yes, there were trousers — a Ralph Lauren staple — but in lieu of a suit jacket there was a brocade bodice with corsetry-style exposed boning. It was a more obviously sexy look than what we’re used to seeing from the brand, and it set the tone for the rest of the collection.
Trousers styled in a way that subverted expectations were a fixture of the collection. Look two saw them worn with a fabulous fur-trimmed jacket; look three a matching waistcoat with an oversized floral brooch affixed. Those brooches were one of the collection’s through lines, contributing a joyful final flourish to blazers and in one instance, a knitted sweater. These reinterpretations of waistcoats, equestrian-style jackets rendered in silk and unexpected pairings showed how, approaching the brand’s 60th anniversary, Lauren continues to explore the facets of the Ralph Lauren woman.
For a brand that has at times throughout its many-decade history represented the American aristocracy, the entire show had an almost bohemian flavour. In one look, a mottled denim jacket was worn with white trousers and layers of gold jewellery — tangles of chains around the neck and swinging earrings on lobes. Elsewhere, a sportswear-style jacket that appeared to be made from taffeta was worn atop a frill-collared blouse, its flouncy sleeves peeking out from the jacket. It was a lesson in unexpected styling, while still being, as Ralph Lauren always is, undeniably wearable.
Evening wear was where thing really got interesting, for Ralph Lauren, surprisingly sexy. Silhouettes took on a slinkiness: dresses skimmed the body as if they could slip right off at a moment’s notice, their silk and lurex fabrications appearing viscous as the models walked. Texture was a major drawcard too. Brocade, fur, sequins and fringe were deployed with aplomb, sometimes paired back with jeans, other times styled with something equally extravagant.
This tension between sensuality, glamour and the functionality and wearability the brand has become loved for was perfectly maintained. Right before it erred too close to over-the-top, a layer was stripped back, a rococo print or a faux fur collar was styled with distressed denim, a thigh slit evening dress was draped in jersey, returning the garment to the territory of louche ease we expect from a Ralph Lauren silhouette. It might not be the preppy Ralph Lauren we expected, but his genius is undoubtedly there.
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