Ralph Lauren FW2025

Having recently concluded Nick Cave's blockbuster inaugural exhibition, the new Jack Shainman Gallery on Lafayette Street in TriBeCa today provided the elegant backdrop for Ralph Lauren's fall show. Outside, a throng of curious onlookers gathered, hoping to catch glimpses of Anne Hathaway, Naomi Watts, and Michelle Williams. Inside, guests were captivated by the Beaux-Arts grandeur of the former New York Life Insurance headquarters, particularly its soaring 29-foot-high molded coffered ceiling.

The setting proved to be the perfect stage for Lauren's latest collection. The dandy's white shirt with its ruffled jabot neckline, often accented with a jeweled brooch, took center stage, peeking out from beneath a black sweater tucked into pleated trousers or worn under single-breasted evening coats and riding jackets. A black lace jabot adorned a rather striking ivory panné velvet halter dress, which also featured a dramatic open back.

Due to Lauren's preference for presenting his collections off-schedule, his shows are treated as significant events. Last September in the Hamptons, for instance, we witnessed not only his signature line but also Purple Label and Polo Ralph Lauren – showcased on men, women, and children. While his notes today alluded to tensions and dichotomies – "plays of masculine-and-feminine and rugged-and-refined" – this was a focused collection delivering a clear and compelling point of view. He titled it “the Modern Romantics.”

Romantic frills are undeniably a prevailing trend. For Lauren, however, this feels like a return to his roots. His advertisements from the 1980s and 1990s have become frequent references on young designers' mood boards, and he convincingly demonstrated the power of self-quotation without succumbing to mere nostalgia. It's a safe prediction that many young women departed with a renewed appreciation for velvet jackets and soft Victorian blouses and their harmonious potential. Others may find themselves tempted to tuck their wide-legged pants into knee-high stacked heel boots.

For eveningwear, Lauren often elevates the glamour – on more than one occasion, the dress code for his show has called for black tie (for guests, that is). Here, he traded beads and sequins for bohemian tiers of ruffles and belted jackets worn over pleated chiffon maxi skirts. The belted off-white taffeta shirtdress with lace insets, worn by Mona Tougaard to close the show, seemed perfectly suited for Kacey Musgraves, who also graced the front row in a ten-gallon hat and tank top.

A sequined sweater featuring a beaded floral detail, paired with black trousers, offered an entirely different vision for a special night out. The notes specified that it was a nod to something worn by the model Clotilde Holby in an '80s Lauren campaign. A quick online search confirms this – a sweet and resonant echo of the past.