If fashion editors thought Brooklyn was far for a runway show, then Ralph Lauren’s fall 2017 collection in Bedford Hills, New York, really extended the limits of Fashion Week geography.
On Tuesday night starting at 5 p.m., editors, influencers, and the designer’s family and friends were all whisked in black town cars to the garage of Ralph Lauren’s suburban Westchester estate, approximately two hours away, for the 7 p.m. show. (Models, however, arrived via helicopter.)
But this was no ordinary garage. Upon arrival, guests were greeted by Lauren’s rare, million-dollar automobile collection that includes makes like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche. Diane Von Furstenberg reached out to touch one of them, allured by their shimmering wax and buff, and was reprimanded.
It was perhaps the most luxurious scene of the week, with Diane Keaton, Jessica Chastain (plus Chastain’s Italian husband), Katie Holmes (sans Jamie Foxx), Donna Karan (who wore a fashion scrunchie), and Armie Hammer all sitting front row on black leather couches. It was Keaton’s second ever Ralph Lauren show, she told the Cut afterward, and she said she loved the opening plaid ensembles, many of which where suits. (Keaton knows a good suit.)
Engines revved as the show began, but unlike Rihanna’s motocross spectacle last weekend, the cars remained parked while models like Presley Gerber, Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner took the runway instead.
The collection, which included women’s and men’s Purple Label looks, was inspired by the sleekness, power, and “innate sexiness” of Lauren’s cars and their silhouettes, he wrote in a press release. Hadid’s shimmering red gown, for example, rivaled a vintage red Ferrari in the background, which had everyone — and not just Diane Von Furstenberg — drooling.
In the end, Lauren came out for a touching bow wearing a vintage racing jumpsuit, bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation. Afterward, dinner was served. This was Ralph’s house, after all. And Fashion Week was his guest.