Ralph Lauren’s love of fashion is perhaps second only to his fascination with cars. The designer’s collection of automobiles includes some of the rarest and most coveted in existence, including a 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, worth an estimated $40 million and arguably one of the world’s most expensive cars. Editors and buyers were invited to take a peek under the hood of his obsession, so to speak, with a show at Lauren’s famed Bedford Mills, New York, garage tonight.
Some of his prized possessions—Ferraris, Porsches, and the aforementioned Bugatti—were lined up on the runway as models strode past their curvilinear bodies. The opening looks—a parade of tailored suiting in houndstooth and Prince of Wales check—might have seemed at odds with the top-gear setting at first, though they were totally in line with the American country lifestyle Lauren has carved out for himself over the past 50 years. Indeed, it felt as if Lauren was honing in on the tropes that set his global brand in motion, specifically the signature spiffy suiting first made popular by Diane Keaton in the late ’70s (remember Woody Allen’s Manhattan?); in fact, the actress was among the crowd of well-wishers in attendance. For her front row neighbors, who included stars such as Jessica Chastain, there were plenty of glamorous red carpet options, many of which were directly inspired by the cars dotted around the room. Even the most princess-worthy pieces weren’t too far removed from the energy of the racetrack, with dramatic ball skirts and patent leather bustiers that recalled the primary color palette of sleek 1980s sports cars. That said, the classic elegance of a tuxedo is still hard to beat, and Lauren’s spin on the look—slightly slouchy in the thigh, with a strong shoulder—is likely to appeal to a wide cross-section of the high-profile women in the designer’s circle, including Keaton but also ladylike traditionalists such as Melania Trump. In fact, if any designer can persuade the First Lady to switch gears in her wardrobe and trade in her sheath dresses for a pantsuit, it’s Lauren.
