When John Legend jumps up out of his seat to start a standing ovation, you know it’s a good show.
That’s what happened Thursday night at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in the preppy Los Angeles suburb of San Marino, California.
Ralph Lauren joined the luxury brand movement of destination shows, bringing his runway to the West Coast for the first time.
Of course he pulled out all the stops, starting with the guest list, which included newlyweds Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell (both of the brides wore Ralph); Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher; Diane Keaton; Laura Dern; James Marsden; Chris Pine, and Polo fragrance face Angus Cloud, who let out his own “whoop, whoop” of approval from his seat.
Despite the star wattage, the event had the intimate, clubby feel of the designer’s Polo Bar in New York. Preshow cocktails were held on the porch outside the Beaux Arts mansion that was once the home of railroad tycoon Henry Huntington and his wife Arabella and dinner was served at long tables where celebs were seated with editors, friends and members of the Ralph Lauren family, and everyone mixed and mingled.
It’s a testament to the designer and his team that all the celebrity guests looked like themselves wearing his clothes, from Mindy Kaling in a sensual red silk pantsuit to Legend in a microdot silk smoking robe, Collins in a strapless, bow-backed bustier top and cigarette pants, and Cloud in a Double RL patched leather bomber jacket.
Mexican-American actor Alejandro Edda wore a vintage Ralph Lauren cowboy shirt from the ’70s, and talked up his pal Diego Calva, who is starring in Damien Chazelle’s upcoming film “Babylon.” They were a fun pair.
Everyone looked comfortable in their own skin.
That’s what Lauren wanted to show on the runway, too, where there were almost as many models as guests in the seats, and looks from all his labels — Collection, Purple Label, Double RL, Polo and childrenswear.
“The collection is really about the spirit of how to enjoy life, the outdoors and color,” Lauren said during a preview.
Long influenced by Hollywood cinema, the designer pulled all the heart strings with the show. An all-ages cast reinforced the evening’s cadence as a family affair, with Robin Wright and Sylvester Stallone among those who came with their children.
On the runway, Lauren remixed and bedazzled his classics for a new generation, while touching on his favorite moods of westernwear, preppy sportswear, Americana and slouchy elegance.
The cowboys and cowgirls came out first and their blanket woven and fringed leather jackets, snap shirts, prairie skirts, tooled boots and silver concha belts looked particularly at home in the land of Gene Autry, who has his own museum nearby. A western-style floral embroidered silk bomber and a fringed trucker jacket were notable new riffs on the iconic look.
The next stop was the American Riviera, as real estate magnate and mayoral candidate Rick Caruso likes to call it.
One of the collection reference points was a photo snapped by Buffy Birrittella, Ralph Lauren’s longtime creative director of womenswear, sometime in the ’70s on the French Riviera. It pictures the designer wearing a gray turtleneck sweater tucked into white short-shorts, with a brown belt with silver monogram buckle and a pair of woven espadrilles.
He recreated that look on the runway, alongside others mixing easy linen tailoring (lots of shorts), cashmere cable knits and glossy brown leather accessories. A crinkly gold silk evening jacket over elegant white trousers had Legend’s name written all over it while a strapless, pale gold chevron beaded gown was all-American red carpet glamour at its best. A bedazzled glen plaid bomber, suede trenchcoat and yummy slouchy white suiting also looked luxe.
Referencing the Venice, California, artist community, perhaps, was a series of looks that were hand painted, including a pair of splatter-paint embroidered jeans worthy of hanging on the wall. Lauren also elevated his love of nautical navy and white, giving a blue turtleneck with diamond-shaped monogram and white shorts with toggle belt look some Tinseltown sparkle in the form of a navy blue sequined double-breasted blazer.
The show really hit its stride when the neo-prep Polo looks started coming out — teens in tie-dye polos, rugbys, nylon shorts, cargo pants, sneakers and beanies in crazy colored plaids and stripes had lots of spunk.
There were also models with small kids in tow, wearing the relaxed, rumpled tailoring, madras checks, tennis sweaters and homespun quilted pieces that have made Lauren synonymous with Americana.
One little boy, in particular, nearly stole the show. Dressed in pint-sized green pants, a blue blazer and orange sneakers, he waved and high-fived his way down the front row.
The finale of drawstring parachute maxiskirts, worn with striped sweaters, color-blocked polos or sleek, athletic-looking bodysuits underneath was just gorgeous, particularly the red hot, one-shouldered top and sarong-style skirt draped to one side that would go from pool to patio cocktails in a second.
After the show the designer was mobbed with well-wishers and picture-takers until people tiptoed through the darkness and into the garden for Old Fashion-eds.
“That was an extraordinary show,” Dern said, introducing herself to Ralph and his wife Ricky when they made their entrance.
“This is my ode,” said artist-turned-designer Greg Lauren, revealing a hand-painted Polo pony T-shirt he created, worn layered under one of his deconstructed tail coats.
Greg has been the longtime L.A. outlier of the Lauren family, and he said it felt like a full-circle moment to have his uncle showing in his hometown. “All of my friends who are L.A. designers still reference Ralph, and wanting to build what he built,” said the creative, who was seated for the show in between his dad Jerry Lauren and the company’s chief executive officer Patrick Louvet.
Dinner went late, with lots of wine and table-hopping.
“Do you think people know where they are?” Karen Lawrence, president of the Huntington, wondered aloud about the 100-plus-year-old cultural institution that was a rented backdrop.
At least those who made their way to the bathroom inside the impressive art museum, past the gilded furniture and the 1794 Thomas Lawrence portrait affectionately known as “Pinkie,” got an inkling.
Lawrence spent the better part of the evening talking up the Huntington and urging people to come back to visit before they hopped on the fleet of golf carts headed back to the parking lot. She had lots of takers.
