Ralph Lauren told an equestrian story for his fall Purple Label Collection, which enticed with its jewel-toned velvets, nubby blanket plaids, and the tumble of harness and riding cap motifs on printed silk neckties.
Lauren’s clothes immediately telegraph a certain lifestyle: of leisurely lunches back at the manor after a morning ride in a bracing cold fended off with handsome military coats and hacking jackets; of cocktails by the fireplace on New Year’s Eve in a rope-edged, shawl-collar tuxedo jacket; of après-ski lounging in a belted cashmere cardigan with a snowflake pattern.
The American designer’s Milan showroom is nearly as transporting as his Madison Avenue headquarters, with its elegant salons, extravagant flower arrangements and tuxedoed waiters ferrying silver trays of Champagne at 11 in the morning.
Bang on trend with the season’s tailoring juggernaut, Lauren and his design team turned out trim velvet suits, handsome double-breasted tweed jackets, and serious chairman-of-the-board pinstripes, too. Some jackets required more than 20 hours of handwork.
Yet the upscale, refined takes on shirt jackets and field jackets — many in bespoke plaids that took their cues from plaid horse blankets — were more unexpected and eye-catching. Many looks — styled on Stockmans — had velvet loafers underneath, embroidered with horse riders, the New York Yankees logo, and fancy bullion crest embroideries, the ones destined for hot climes sprouting palm trees.
These are clothes for the man who has everything, who demands the best, but who also doesn’t take himself too seriously.
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