Inside Ralph Lauren’s Dazzling Return to NYFW

There were stars aplenty as the biggest name on the calendar puts on his spring/summer 2024 show

RL SS24 — Photo: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren

By Jeffrey Yan - published 11 Sep 2023

There aren’t many of the true establishment left when it comes to New York fashion. Marc shows off-schedule. Calvin and Donna are off the runway (and out of their brands) completely. Oscar’s torch has been passed onto the next generation. So it is a big deal that Ralph has returned to New York Fashion Week. The last Ralph Lauren show here was in pre-pandemic times—an incredibly glamorous affair on Wall Street with a custom-built cabaret club and a performance by Janelle Monáe.

For his comeback, the stars turned out in full force. With Hollywood on strike, the front rows have become the best place to spot a movie star. And Lauren’s front-row was the week’s most star-studded: Julianne Moore, Jennifer Lopez, Amanda Seyfried, Diane Keaton, James Marsden and Charles Melton were amongst the many who showed up.

Cara Delevingne and Emma Roberts attend the Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2024 show. Photo: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren

Lauren transported his very uptown crowd to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he had created an impressive set that was like something between a ballroom and a barn. It was inspired by Lauren’s own ranch in Colorado. Plank wood floors and exposed beams were juxtaposed against chandeliers and plush cream chairs; gilded frames were propped up on bare plaster walls. It was a little bit rustic, a little bit bohemian, and a whole lot of glamour.

The clothes reflected those qualities. They were good old American classics, heightened and romanticised in true Lauren fashion. The show started with a passage of blues and whites. Denim was a particular focus here, but elevated through craft—they came painted, embroidered, feathered. There were striped shirts and painted jeans, blazers and bustiers.

Photo: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren SS24

From there, things took on a Western tinge. There were prairie-inspired dresses, fringe and macrame, and belts with big shiny buckles. The colour story changed to black and gold, with plenty of shine coming from lamé, chainmail mesh, and beading. These were more convincing as classical eveningwear than when they were cut into sportier shapes.

Generally, the things that felt less thematic came across far stronger. For instance, the cream suit early on in the show, with its fitted jacket, roomy trousers, and untucked shirt. Or, the sensational monochromatic looks towards the end: Adut’s orange cut-out jumpsuit, Anok’s fringed purple number, and Christy’s gold one-shouldered gown.

Scroll ahead to see all the looks from Ralph Lauren's Spring/Summer 2024 collection.