NYFW: Ralph Lauren Makes a Triumphant Return to the Runway

Only Ralph Lauren could take an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn and convert it into a high-end ranch fit for his big NYFW comeback, and the star-studded guest list his show assembled. Welcoming the brand back onto the schedule, the scene was set for a spectacle with front-row guests including Jennifer Lopez, Julianne Moore, Sofia Richie, Diane Keaton, Laura Dern, Gabrielle Union, Amanda Seyfried, Mindy Kaling, Cara Delevingne, and more.

The brand’s first official presentation since Fall 2019, Spring 2024, was always going to grab headlines. But in true Ralph Lauren fashion, the new season brought a blow of fresh style to the heritage brand that not only nodded to its formative codes but fortified them as more relevant than ever. “My spring 2024 women’s collection is about a new kind of romance—cool and sophisticated,” the designer wrote in the show notes. “These are the stories of the woman I design for, whose individuality and artistic spirit are a canvas for her own self-expression.”

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Intriguing treatments of denim, an American fashion staple and a core pillar of the brand’s offerings, was an instant tell that Lauren, after five decades, still knows how to keep us on our toes. Artfully distressed styles with monochromatic prints and couture-level embroidery layered with chiffon lining took shape in denim jackets, corsets, and low-rise skirts that sat naturally alongside glitzy gowns.

Elsewhere, black and gold had an extended moment within the collection. Injecting a Bohemian edge to the house’s signature Western shtick, looks were accessorised with bulky belts, chunky layers of multicoloured beads hanging low around the neck, and jewel-tone leather handbags. The classic polo was reimagined in a deep gold lamé styled with a sequined tulle skirt belted at the waist. Other timeless Lauren tropes of fringing, relaxed outerwear and billowy blouses were also present, this time rendered in rich prints. Notably, Lauren makes a case for the return of parachute pants, which will no doubt stir rigorous debate amongst industry insiders.

For the finale, a handful of bias-cut dresses in vibrant hues of coral, royal purple and turquoise swooned the crowd, while Natalia Vodianova and Christy Turlington closed the show in Grecian-style gold gowns.

This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.