Ralph Lauren showed his Resort collection on the runway for the first time ever this morning, in the second-floor salon of his Madison Avenue flagship. Lauren has made a career out of destination collections—Aspen, Africa, England, Spain. Designers love to do that kind of thing for Resort, but today's lineup had a polish that felt distinctly urban. If he looked anywhere for inspiration, it could've been a few blocks west, to New York's Lincoln Center. Ballet pink and black were the show's prevailing colors, and stretch bodysuit dressing its dominant message.
It carried over from the cashmere wrap top, racer-back tank, and fluttery georgette skirt he opened with to the blazer and trousers he layered over a second-skin turtleneck. Lilac was the collection's only other color. It made a big impact on a reversible suede wrap coat. Also sit-up-and-take-notice-worthy amid all of the solid color was a pair of black-and-white printed and pleated silk dresses. The one whose pleats were accented with strips of leather particularly resonated.
Lauren's shows usually end on an opulent note, with a series of high evening dresses. This time around, he opted out of beads, sequins, and lace. It's too far to call the slim black silk cady gowns sporty, or even athletic, but they were appealingly streamlined, especially the long-sleeve version with the plunging neckline.
