Ralph Lauren supplied a hopeful, positive coda for fashion week. His response to dark times was to let the light in, quite literally. Yes, he opened with a little black dress, but he soon moved into taupe-y tweed suiting, soft pastel knits, and rich velvet dresses, finishing up with antique ivories and golds. Along the way he showcased his great-looking outerwear and subtly glamorous evening options, while touching on such treasured motifs as haberdashery, the equestrian world, and a spot of Anglophilia in the form of Fair Isle knits.
With even the very rich hunkering down, Lauren made a point of showing plenty of cozy coats. A herringbone tweed topped an embroidered lamé dress, and there were also embroidered shearlings, Mongolian lamb chubbies, and an Oliver Twist-ish patchwork or two that should please the ironists among his fans. For the evening looks that closed the show, he stowed the outerwear, sending out one shimmery dress after another in ivory satin, pale pink charmeuse, or vintage gold lamé. The highlight of the bunch was a delicate frock with a silvery bodice and gauzy pink skirts to the knee, but they all fairly glowed. For 15 minutes, at least, Lauren had you believing that everything is going to be just fine.
