The World of Ralph Lauren Takes California by Storm With a Full Range of SS23 Offerings
The legendary designer produced an expansive west coast event for his Polo, Double RL, Purple Label and namesake Collections – for men, women and kids.
As the return of Los Angeles Fashion Week begins to cool down – with its series of niche runway shows and brand activations – Ralph Lauren sought to heat things up by adding an expansive, first-time-ever event to this week’s west coast lineup. Eschewing its traditional closing slot on the New York Fashion Week calendar, the brand chose to instead show in California for its Spring/Summer 2023 presentation.
Selecting San Marino (Pasadena) for this year’s fashion show location, the “World of Ralph Lauren” took California by storm with a full range of SS23 offerings from each of the legendary designer’s brands, including Polo, Double RL, Purple Label, and his namesake Collection for both men and women, in addition to kids.
The presentation took place at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, with a grand marble and stone courtyard as the backdrop for the runway. The show was broken down by looks according to each of the designer’s brands and started with Double RL, which highlighted a “rugged” mix of textured denim and aged leather. As a fitting nod to California’s Western style of dress, this segment included aged cowboy boots, chunky knit cardigans, short aviator-style jackets with patches and 10-gallon hats.
Moving into the second segment of the show, a more luxe appeal was proposed for next season with the brand’s Purple Label and Collection ensembles. The tonal colorways of gold, tan, white and neutrals were comprised of single-breasted and double-breasted tailored dinner jackets, sleek front-pleated trousers, crisp button-down shirts and plush velvet slip-on shoes. As well, classic navy blue, red and white silhouettes followed with cashmere, soft blazers and soft suiting.
As the second half of the event got underway, bold pops of color and sporty athletic wear made way for the Polo line, with colorful chinos, iconic Polo shirts, madras print shorts, technical jackets with “Polo” insignia logo and branded footwear in the form of colorful sneakers and boots. Polo vests, backpacks and hoodies all made an appearance on the runway, with a display of men’s, women’s and kids’ Polo items.
Closing out the show, the designer sent out “a crescendo of color,” to punctuate what consumers can look forward to for next season. Vibrant silk taffeta gowns and ball skirts appeared in lime green, citrus orange, red and pink – each giving a subtle nod to the pink silk taffeta dress that the brand designed for Gwyneth Paltrow for the 1999 Oscars ceremony.
Describing the inspiration to move this year’s show from New York to California, Mr. Ralph Lauren (the brand’s Chief Creative Officer), shared: “I have always been inspired by the natural beauty, the heritage and glamour of the West Coast of America. California has always been a land of dreams and contradictions – rugged coasts and red carpets.”
“For the first time ever, I bring my dream of living here, sharing my worlds in an experience that celebrates a way of life I have always believed in – a mix of grit and glamour, energy and inspiration,” he added.
Celebrating the brand’s decision to show in California, a plethora of Hollywood A-listers, dignitaries and influencers were in attendance at the event, including Sylvester Stallone, John Legend, Diane Keaton, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Angus Cloud, Chris Pine, Jessica Chastain, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Polo G and more.
Euphoria star, Cloud, exclusively told Hypebeast: “You know what I love about the brand, is that Polo is so colorful and bright and has a youthful, sporty vibe to it. I wish I could take the whole collection home with me. I’ve been collecting Polo since I was 13, man. I’m a real ‘Lo head.”
Polo G also shared, “The show was dope – it gave me a wholesome vibe! I’ve been to several fashion shows and this one was a favorite for me, for this season. I loved the Polo sneakers and also liked the kid’s clothing, because I can shop some of those looks for my son.”
Take a swipe through our Ralph Lauren SS23 photo gallery above, to see the expansive offerings for next season.
In other fashion news, Maxwell Osborne took anOnlyChild on the road for LA Fashion Week.
