Ralph Lauren Brought His Signature Relaxed Glamour and Americana to the Hamptons
On a late summer afternoon last week in the Hamptons, some 250 guests were greeted by a sun-dappled scene of horses cantering behind picket fences, an array of pristine classic sports cars, and drinks-wielding waiters in uniforms of oxford cloth shirts and repp ties under crisp white aprons at Khalily Stables in Bridgehampton. If you’re thinking that sounds just like a Ralph Lauren ad come to life, that’s a testament not just to the impeccable execution of Mr. Lauren’s Spring 2025 New York show but his impact on the vernacular. Green lawn, scuffed bucks, blue blazer, a touch of sand? That’s Ralph—who else could it be?
The Hamptons, where Lauren has maintained a home for decades, were among the earliest of the designer’s geographic muses, and the breadth of looks across labels—similar to what was staged for the brand’s 50th Anniversary, and at last October’s California Dreaming presentation in Los Angeles—is a reminder of just how fully Lauren can inhabit a world. The opening men’s and women’s Purple Label ensembles ditched some of their English starch (helped along by a hint of salt air and Christopher Cross’s “Sailing” playing at full volume) with the blues, whites, and browns feeling cooler, more coastal and less sun-soaked than the menswear portion did in Milan in June. With a pale horse grazing some thirty yards in the background, supermodels Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell appeared, anchoring a series of seven all-white ensembles that felt especially rooted in place. One particular look, a multi-tone men’s combination of a linen blazer, scuffed canvas sneakers, an ivory polo, and an ecru cashmere sweater knotted around drapey, pleated trousers felt at once the ideal all-purpose Hamptons outfit and an option that would work equally well anywhere on earth where it’s warm.
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Looks from Lauren’s Polo range brought a strong 90s vibe between the looser, more louche prep silhouettes (lower-rise chore pants and cargos, big jeans, boxy double-breasted blazers) and the sporty burst of primary colors across everything from rugbys to knitwear to parkas to shorts. Many of the men’s and women’s models walked in pairs; a number had kids tagging along. I caught up with Usher after the show, who called it “a love story,” to which the only possible response is, well, Yeah!
At the end, a white barn wall suddenly lifted like a curtain to reveal Mr. Lauren, who took his bow, and then guests were invited for dinner inside a detail-perfect recreation of Manhattan’s famed Polo Bar, down to the mahogany ceiling, horsey illustrations, and A-lst clientele casually rubbing elbows. Among those tucking into the restaurant’s signature burger and fries were Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Rufus Wainright, Tom Hiddleston, Colman Domingo, and First Lady Jill Biden. The chic canteen would only be in place for the night before disappearing, a wildly detailed and expensive sandcastle washed away in a sea of black Escalades.
At the risk of the clothes getting lost in the spectacle, they were beautifully done, especially Purple Label, with quietly sumptuous materials and exacting construction. I’m not sure Americana ever left quite enough for this show to have brought it back, as some have suggested, but it certainly was a love story—to America, as always. And that’s where the spectacle matters. Mr. Lauren has always been a visionary first and foremost, and in 2024 in American fashion, only he can conjure an alternate reality on such a scale, and down to such minute detail, that it glimmers space-time for a moment—and unlike the hype-driven European behemoths, his vision need never explain itself, let alone be reinvented. It’s the vision of actually perfect America, to quote Karl Lagerfeld, from the diverse casting and effortless styling all the way down to the napkins, and only he can do it because, after 57 years, no one else is so integral to how American fashion is understood today. There’s only Ralph.
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