Ralph Lauren Spring Summer 2024
Written by Adele Hoinacki
The exhibition of Ralph Lauren’s Spring Summer 2024 undeniably broke ground on multiple fronts. Ralph Lauren last headlined the New York Fashion Week schedule in September of 2019, when the brand converted a ballroom on Wall Street into “Ralph’s Club”. Ralph Lauren began his business in 1967, allowing his four year hiatus, between 2019 and 2024, to be considered a significant deficit in the industry.
Previously, Ralph Lauren has been known for its “androgynous tailoring”, glamorous looks, as well as pieces motivated by Lauren’s mantra of “more romance”. Although the Spring Summer 2024 collection mirrored collections prior, notably the “Western” inspired Spring Summer collection of 2011, Lauren diverted from his typical style, distinguishing a significant comeback for the brand.
The Spring Summer 2024 collection honed in on the use of “faded denim” as well as “painterly florals”, diverging from the prior consistent use of more mainstream fabrics. Ralph Lauren coined the collection as, “a new kind of romance - cool and sophisticated” with a focus on, “modern sophistication of timeless icons” reimagined through the use of embroidery, electric mixes of metallic colors, as well as other handcrafted details. The overarching theme of the collection pertained to authenticity and the freedom of expression as seen through the use of daring colors and textures as well as the motif of gold foil lamé.
Aside from the forty nine unique looks presented, the 2024 collection also marked the new debut of the RL 888 Bag Collection. Akin to the expressive, divergent collection, the RL 888 Bag Collection features bags with strong silhouettes, reflecting “a spirit of independence” designed for the evolution of personal style, relating to the theme of authenticity of the holistic collection. As stated by Ralph Lauren, the bag collection in particular draws inspiration from, “the beauty of the natural world - where sky and rugged terrain convene”, which can also be seen in the use of “Western American” fabrics as well as naturalistic details in the clothing line.
Although this collection marks the much awaited return of Ralph Lauren, the series of gold and black looks, paired with the configurations of the RL logo, as well as the use of bodice gowns and jewel tone silk dresses highlight the seamless integration of Ralph Lauren’s prior style with modern sophistication, which we look forward to seeing more of in upcoming seasons.
