56 years after the launch of its very first collection (ties, under the name Polo), Ralph Lauren is still very much in the saddle. According to the Lauren employee present at this Milan presentation for Purple Label, the designer begins each episode of this collection by thinking about fabrics, just as you would when ordering a suit, but on a much larger scale. He lays out swatches to get an overview of the textures, weight and shades of suits, outerwear and sport coats. Then come the knitwear, shirts, ties, casual pants, shoes and other curated elements of a Lauren menswear look. Once this overview is established, the outfits are built.
For this collection, Lauren moved away from the tonal jewel-toned suit we’ve seen recently (it’s now quite on point elsewhere again) and headed back to the ranch. Tweeds and wool in checks inspired by horse blankets were among the designer’s starting points. More european houndstooth, glen plaid and country corduroy were also mixed. A fringed suede jacket was worn over a black turtleneck knit, black denim and a classic western belt in rough-cut, greasy brown leather: brown on black is an accepted no-no, but that’s the subtle power of the Lauren machine . styling view that it looked like an inspiration rather than an aberration.
The equestrian sport determined the atmosphere, but did not determine the whole. A series of impeccable board-level governance suits was more suitable to weather the ups and downs of the stock market. There was a beautiful green velvet rendition of a 1940s paratrooper jacket, complete with authentic diagonally flapping map pockets: it was reimagined as an informal hybrid between evening and tuxedo jacket. More eveningwear arrived in black watch tartan, fastened with gold buttons: the ceremonial heaviness of this was leavened by the Yankees baseball cap styled alongside, part of a new collaboration. This was another flawless inning from US Fashion’s biggest and longest hitter.
