NEW YORK — Even though it's barely fall, Ralph Lauren is ready for a spring holiday to an exotic overseas destination.
How about the south of France?
No one does relaxed elegance better than Lauren, and the designer was at the top of his game on the last day of New York Fashion Week with a warm-weather collection that had such front row celebrities as Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain and Alec Baldwin ready to renew their passports and book a flight.
Working with a color palette primarily of red, white and blue, Lauren presented a number of casual combinations, from an all-white shirt and pants ensemble with red woven raffia cork platforms to jumpsuits of varying lengths in shiny navy lame, vintage ivory cotton and white silk with a winding red stripe.
Pants either hug the ankle or billow out pallazo-style in contrasting shades or with the outline of a sailboat. Crisp jackets in linen canvas or luxurious wool crepe vary from short and cropped to nearly mid-thigh. Even gowns made from striped shirting fabric or body-hugging viscose in bold red or cobalt blue with cutouts at the midsection continue the stylish laid-back attitude.
"It really brought us the spirit of French chic style and elegance," Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor Avril Graham told CultureMap. "I had a feeling I was being transported to the Riviera, with a smattering of Deauville in a tad vintage way, too.
"They're the sort of clothes that women want to wear — flattering to the body, nipped into the waist, with the flirty skirts, the stripes, the clean whites, the gorgeous platform shoe moment. Ralph really understands his customer like no one else."
Midway through the runway show, Lauren introduced jackets, pants, shirts and blouses in a lightweight tan saddle leather paired with navy accents. "It's the chicest color combination," said Graham, who will be in Dallas to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NorthPark Center on October 8.
"For me Texas is the epitome of the spirit of America. As a foreigner, it always feels good to be back," said Graham in her crisp British accent.
Fans won't have to wait long to buy certain items. A curated collection of runway looks is available on the Ralph Lauren website starting today.
Backstage at the Ralph Lauren show, models are in an array of styles.
