Natural beauty with an urban attitude. That was the mood of Ralph Lauren’s pre-fall collection, focused on soft neutrals — taupe, ivory, dusty pink — delivered with refined ease.
“It’s a good way to transition into the season,” Lauren said of his gentle palette. “In spring and summer, you wear a lot of color. I thought we’d like a smooth palette to change seasons, and go with a different statement for fall.”
Lauren opened his conversation with a group of mostly tone-on-tone taupes. That visual calm allowed for focus on the lineup’s tony materials – beautiful combinations of leather, suede, cashmere, silk cady — in silhouettes that radiated his refined ethos. To that end, he favored relaxed shapes in combinations that offered subtle surprises. A knitted dress with a ballerina bodice and finely pleated skirt was worn under a short, snappy puffer reimagined in buttery leather. He also made fine work of luxe ath-leisure, with a boldly out-of-context take on a jogging suit, in suede, worn with a finely beaded T-shirt, mannish topper and strappy heels. Other textural plays came in leathers bonded to suedes and the subtle gradation of a lovely dress in tiers of blush silk cady, georgette and charmeuse. Lauren balanced the pale power with a subtle equestrian influence rendered in black with luggage leather accents.
Increasingly, designers are bolstering their pre-season evening offerings. In a deft delivery of extremes, Lauren showed both a stark, sophisticated ivory column with long sleeves and a gentle, girlish slip of embroidered tulle. Both spoke beautifully to his range and his essence.
