Ralph Lauren’s Glamorous Americana Returns to New York Fashion Week

Few brands could bring a fleet of A-list celebrities to the depths of Brooklyn during a particularly hot and humid New York Fashion Week, but Ralph Lauren did just that for its grand return to the New York Fashion Week runway. On September 8, Jennifer Lopez, Julianne Moore, Diane Keaton, Laura Dern, Gabrielle Union, and Amanda Seyfried could be found inside an abandoned warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that had been transformed into a very Ralph Lauren-ified ranch-style barn. This is where the spring 2024 show would take place—the brand’s first on the official schedule since 2019.

Many of Ralph Lauren’s core references appeared on the runway. There were white or striped button-down shirts, printed blazers with matching jeans, pinstripe suits, and washed-out maxi skirts with decadent denim corset pairings. The label also put a heavy emphasis on the bohemian side of the Ralph Lauren aesthetic, with woven fringed cardigans worn open over black jumpsuits, neatly accessorized with dark black sunglasses, a big Western logo belt, and a gold choker. Denim got a high-end makeover with embroidery and intricate hand-beading.

The iconoclastic prep was reborn in a gold polo shirt, a floor-skimming black tulle skirt flecked with shimmer, and the aforementioned belt. Styled with a Polo logo baseball cap, a gold jumpsuit, and an open shirt jacket, the look was a bit more grown-up.

Ralph dazzled with a selection of red carpet-ready gowns, from a black maxi option with cutouts to a gilded, draped number that came knotted at the top. Toward the end of the show, some colorful touches were mixed in: vibrant dresses spun in rich shades of plum, saffron, and turquoise, plus fringe-to-the-floor beaded looks, layered necklaces, and earrings.

“My spring 2024 women’s collection is about a new kind of romance—cool and sophisticated,” the designer stated in the show notes. Lauren often weaves into his collections a story of his core characters: the bohemian, the ranch cowgirl, the glam western siren. This time, he conveyed that message through cowboy hats and the snake-shaped necklace that Mariacarla Boscono wore with a pair of gold trousers and a black blazer. All the Americana military-style blazers, Stetsons, and one particular white-tiered prairie dress proved not many designers could pull off such dictionary-definition American style without making it feel camp. One thing about Ralph Lauren is that he always conveys pure elegance. The incredibly glamorous Christy Turlington closed the show in a form-fitting Grecian gold lamé gown, her hair swept back to reveal chandelier earrings.

A Look at the Front Row