It’s been another big year for Ralph Lauren, who in October took home the CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year award after staging two strong women’s collection runway shows in New York in 2025.
The brand also unveiled its latest artist residence for Polo Ralph Lauren with Tópa’s Jocy and Trae Little Sky; rolled out its new three-year strategic plan in September; unveiled the Team USA Olympic and Paralympic uniforms for the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Games, and renewed its long-term partnership with the U.S. Tennis Association as the official outfitter of the U.S. Open through 2032, to name a few other things.
On the heels of its festive “Ralph Lauren Holiday Experience,” a private evening with live musical performance by Laufey, in Los Angeles — which brought in notable guests Kate Hudson, Phoebe Dynevor, Cooper Koch, Gia Coppola and more — Lauren has also revealed that, after a gap of some 20-plus years, he will bring his Purple Label and Polo Ralph Lauren menswear collections to the upcoming Milan Men’s Fashion Week runways in January.
That no doubt foreshadows another busy year ahead for the American designer, who is continuing to look toward the future, as seen through his glamorous and sleek pre-fall collection. Lauren described it as a mix of utility and glam, with sultry sophistication, “a cool toughness embraced by a woman whose beauty and style is defined by an inner confidence,” he told WWD.
While his Polo lineups continue to lead fashion’s ongoing elevated preppy trend, his luxury women’s collection exemplifies the brand’s consistent evolution and elevation of his aesthetic, which for pre-fall touched on earthy nods instilled on glamorous dress. It was a through line seen in the season’s mix of daywear and stellar evening styles in a rich, earthy palette of greens, mushroom and chocolate browns, stone and granite grays, such as a new bark pleated dress that evoked the idea of mycelium and a key pair of khaki green trousers that worked in natural, sustainable techniques à la stone washing.
A chocolate brown suit was worn with a shiny button-down, unbuttoned to inject a gusty, sexy look into his strong tailoring, while lightweight wrap dresses, said to have spiral metal wire woven into the silk so they followed the shape of the body, and a matching foil laminated ribbed knit set displayed elegance with ease.
“The contradiction of liquid shine against burnished leather, of tall leather boots and one ultimate accessory — a bold leather belt twisted and long cinched over everything from smoky charmeuse to languid sweaters and timeless tweeds,” Lauren said of pre-fall.
A majority of the looks were wrapped in the must-have sturdy leather belts, which looked equally great atop a great sweater blazer worn with a meticulous fringed skirt made up of individual lacquered leather panels applied to a tulle backing (said to take more than 60 hours to craft), or a standout ‘30s-inspired ivory silk evening gown with built-in shoulder pads. Ditto to his jewelry, which echoed the collection’s earthy-yet-stealthy feeling via organic, silver metal sculptural rings, necklaces and bangles and completed each look alongside richly detailed Ralph and Ricky bags.
He rounded out the lineup with a strong array of signature outerwear, updated with coated membranes that made many styles, including a silk bomber, sharp trench and covert Balmacaan coat, water-repellant.
All in all, a winning collection that melded the natural and the now with sumptuous dress for what no doubt will be another exciting year ahead for the brand.
