One American Brand Didn’t Shake Things Up at Fashion Week — and It Was a Major Hit
Ralph Lauren debuted his fall 2017 ready-to-wear collection on Wednesday night at the brand’s flagship store in New York City. The iconic designer presented an assortment of bronze and gold glamorous gowns, timeless cream-colored dresses and tailored jackets, as well as loose-fitting metallic pieces and a range of other styles.
For the event, the flagship was entirely transformed into a transfixing wonderland, with the walls of the first two floors covered in 100,000 beautiful white orchid blooms. The blissful garden setting provided an elegant backdrop.
“My February 2017 Collection was inspired by a nomadic spirit, an exotic sophistication contrasting pure shapes with rustic textures, shades of the desert and burnished gold, and artful, one-of-a-kind jewelry,” Ralph Lauren said in a press release. “It embodies the spirit of the woman I design for, always seeking a style that is bold and personal.”
Top models Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Victoria’s Secret angels Taylor Hill and Romee Strijd strutted down the runway in pieces from the February collection.
Like last season, the latest styles were made available in worldwide flagship stores and online just one day after their unveiling. David Lauren, executive vice president of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, described that concept as “a great success” at Fast Company‘s 2016 Innovation Festival, so it’s not surprising the brand is following the trend this season.
At the time, the executive insisted that despite the timeframe shifting for delivery of the clothing, the quality has not suffered in any way.
“The people that make our products spend days working on it. When you are beading a dress, there’s so many fine details and hours,” Lauren said. “The feeling is that if it’s immediate, it means it was made overnight, and we have to change that perception. All we’ve really done is change the fashion cycle.”
Shoppers at the flagship store on Madison Avenue chatted and browsed the new collection with the help of personal shoppers on Thursday. Chairs from the previous night’s show were replaced with clothing racks and artfully arranged mannequins clad in ready-to-wear.
Even though the grand reveal of the space happened the night before, shoppers were still in awe of the stunning in-store setting.
“I have always wanted a woman to fall in love with my collection and say, ‘I can’t wait to wear it,’ and now she doesn’t have to,” Ralph Lauren said in a press release. “We are meeting her needs with even greater energy than before and delivering impeccable craftsmanship and luxury to her instantly.”
From the turnout at the store, it was clear that Lauren was successful in executing his vision.
The success of continuing the see now, buy now concept from last season remains to be seen. But with faster delivery on covetable, wearable styles, it will likely go over well with consumers, including high-profile political figures and members of the celeb set, searching for garments at that price point.
So in a Fashion Week that was full of designers making political statements, Lauren delivered an impressive show working off of what he does best — letting the clothes speak for themselves.
Read More: Leftist, Liberal Political Statements Are the Hottest Things at New York Fashion Week
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