Ralph Lauren opens New York fashion week with a bold vision of the American dream
Designer Ralph Lauren, 86, kicked off New York fashion week with an unofficial show as his company posted a record $8.1bn in annual revenue this year.
The first show of fashion's month-long calendar of catwalks wasn't even on the official schedule. Ralph Lauren staged his presentation in a marble hall with tapestry-covered walls and a gilded ceiling overlooking lower Manhattan, drawing celebrity guests including Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo. At 86, the designer took his final bow dressed casually in a varsity jacket emblazoned with "New York".
Lauren himself described the collection as "irreverent". The runway featured burnt-out velvet eveningwear revealing glimpses of skin, shredded low-slung jeans, and a nod to the extra-wide ties that helped launch his brand 59 years ago. While the spray-painted brocade gowns and richly embroidered evening coats carry steep price tags, the brand's momentum is driven by a far wider customer base.
Record revenue and a new generation of fans
Gen Z has recently rediscovered Ralph Lauren, embracing its Polo shirts, rugby shirts and baseball caps. That renewed popularity is reflected clearly in the company's finances: this year Ralph Lauren posted its highest-ever annual revenue of $8.1bn, up 15% from the previous year.
Born Ralph Lifshitz to Jewish immigrants from Belarus, the designer has spent decades building an imagined version of America that blends English aristocratic style, cowboy imagery, college sports culture and Upper East Side sophistication. Lauren was recently named a nominee for American menswear designer of the year, and the new collection also included two sharply tailored women's suits made at an Italian workshop.
The show set a confident tone for New York fashion week, which is opening this season with more optimism than in recent years as designers lean into a US market seen as a bright spot amid broader struggles in the global luxury industry. The week ahead also includes presentations from Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg and Conner Ives.
