At NY Fashion Week, Ralph Lauren sends his muse on a bold adventure

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Statement made, Ralph Lauren: Be strong. Be bold. Go on that adventure.

The first look on Ralph Lauren’s New York Fashion Week runway Thursday morning featured a turquoise suede poet top, with cascading ruffles down the front, and the model wore a beret and carried a studded motorcycle bag. From there, it was a bright red hand-crocheted tank dress and a few looks later was a tomato red suede jacket with rustic brown leather details.

“I was inspired by a vibrant, bohemian spirt, the artistry of things handmade and personal style that is as rich as it is romantic,” Lauren told The Associated Press.

A colorful blanket-style serape was getting buzz from editors and stylists before they even left the downtown show space. Lauren offered the same idea – in the same green, brown and yellow colours – in an off-the-shoulder serape wrap top that probably more easily fits into the closets of most customers.

There were beaded bolero jackets and embellished jodhpur pants that evoked a matador to the Spanish-style music, and the flat-top hats and colorful scarves some of the models wore tied around their necks, but taking each piece on its own, it wasn’t a costume.

A scarlet-colored gown had beading around the shoulders that created a capelet effect, and the finale was a black, silk faille jacket with elaborate gold embroidery and a black evening skirt with tiers of organza that fell into a train.

Olivia Wilde and Jessica Alba sat in the front row with Lauren’s family, and Alba was actively commenting to her seatmate throughout the show.

“I was definitely putting together a master wishlist for sure. I just have to narrow it down. It’s almost too many things,” Alba said afterward.