Last month, Ralph Lauren returned to Milan to stage a strong runway show that blended his men’s Polo Ralph Lauren and Purple Label lines with cinematic effect. In just a few short weeks, the brand will return to the city to present its women’s Polo lineup.
But on Tuesday evening, the fashion crowd and the likes of Anne Hathaway, Ariana DeBose, Emilia Jones, Lana del Rey and more returned downtown to New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery for Ralph Lauren’s fall 2026 runway show, with clothes that upheld the brand’s luxurious craftsmanship, and the venue decked out to resemble all of Lauren’s favorite things.
Inspired by his Bedford, N.Y., estate, the space — which Lauren previously staged, as-is, for his fall 2025 outing — featured custom hand-painted scenic murals covering the walls, rich velvet curtains, vintage area rugs and an array of worn leather and animal print furnishings, which nicely played into the collection’s rich, layered approach.
Lauren said he loves the “adventure of fashion,” which inspired this season’s woman, who certainly has a renegade spirit and confidence “to tell her own story,” he added. “She respects the timeless quality of things from the past but reinvents them for now. Her style is not defined by time. It’s enduring.”
Gigi Hadid stole the show in both her opening boucle tweed corset and tailored skirt as well as her closing brown velvet halter gown, cinched at the waist with a chunky leather O-ring belt, with fluttering chainmail sleeves. The looks spoke to the collection’s overall duality of the rugged with romantic, and the adventurous with the classic, with a strong vintage pull and nods to Joan of Arc. Or as overheard, “Joan of Park Avenue.”
Ahead of the runway, the collection was noted to include more than 50 fabrications, which spanned from Edwardian cotton taffeta smocked blouses, tweed tailoring and edgy chainmail tops to silk scarf dressing featuring outdoorsy scenes, chunky knits and ample velvet layers that spanned day to night.
Artisanal handcraft was of equal importance, which of course was present in metallic embroidered daywear and “beat-up” leathers, but really shined through his showstopping eveningwear. Case in point: a strapless bias black velvet number with leather and hardware strips; a silver sequin gown was flocked in black velvet, giving off a crinkly effect, and a strong shouldered navy velvet column gown with slight bell sleeves that emphasized his nods to Edwardian dress, to name three.
Apart from the clear references to medieval warriors, the collection had more of a hard edge than Lauren’s spring lineup, which made for powerful, commanding looks. Strong shoulders played into this idea throughout tailoring, alongside leather corsetry and chunky aviator pants, riding boots and sweet yet strong tapestry brocade layers.
There was even the American heritage house’s signature cable-knit sweaters, here with chain embellishments — a new way of bringing the overall collection vision to the masses.
