Taylor Swift knows something about setting precedents. So maybe it should not have been a surprise that just over two weeks after she wore a black-and-white striped Ralph Lauren sundress for her flower-festooned engagement shoot — one that sold out almost immediately — Ralph Lauren himself opened New York Fashion Week with a collection almost entirely black and white. And red.
After more than 50 years in business, he understands how to up the ante. And so he did, with volume and celebrities and some very, very wide-brimmed straw hats.
The show was held in the Lauren headquarters on Madison Avenue, in a room transformed for the day into a summery lounge with cushioned white couches, black wicker chandeliers and a curvy staircase at one end. The intimacy of the site only served to highlight the big picture view.
Nick Jonas sat with a hand on his wife Priyanka Chopra’s knee, each in matching shades of Ralph Lauren brown. Mindy Kaling, in a bronze suit, Naomi Watts, in a frilly shell, and Jessica Chastain, in black lace, whispered into one another’s ears and giggled. At the last minute, Oprah made her entrance with Gayle King. And all of them applauded the acres of material in Mr. Lauren’s generous trousers, sweeping skirts and halter tent gowns.
The palette may have been limited, but there was nothing constricting about the clothes — a relief at a time when the corset has been making a comeback, body-con is a trend and skinny trousers abound. There was even a very fancy pair of satiny white overalls, worn over a crystal-bedecked white tank, in case someone wanted to go straight from the garden to the gala.
Rather than looking blousey, or even bombastic, the effect was easy. Especially because all the swishiness at the bottom was balanced by bandeau tops, neatly tailored jackets and the occasional pair of shorts. Also, statement silver jewelry in organic shapes and some floppy bows.
These were pared-down pieces for someone who believes that harmony can be found in oppositions and is confident enough not to try too hard. That’s the essence of sportswear, which is itself part of the essence of American fashion, and Mr. Lauren understands it as well as anyone.
In any case, if Mr. Lauren was channeling a growth mind-set, it made sense. The only thing bigger than his pants and hats was his last few weeks, between Ms. Swift’s surprise announcement and the U.S. Open, where he celebrated 20 years as official outfitter and dressed a plethora of high-profile attendees.
Meantime, he introduced a new A.I. tool that can help customers style their Polo looks (the company had reportedly been working on it for a year, in conjunction with Microsoft), and on the day of his show news came that he was nominated for a Council of Fashion Designers of America award as women’s wear designer of the year. This after already winning in the category nine times.
As to whether he was also looking forward to creating Ms. Swift’s wedding dress, a spokeswoman smiled, shrugged and remained mum.
No matter. Once the last model had appeared, Mr. Lauren himself materialized on the staircase in his signature beaten-up leather bomber and dark aviator shades to wave, and his wife, Ricky, jumped up from her seat to join him and give him … well, a big kiss.
Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014.
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