Ralph Lauren scales down, goes for ‘intimate experience’ at latest fashion show

NEW YORK — “Can I get you some Ralph’s Roast?”

Immaculately dressed young waiters offered coffee and pastries as soon as you sat down at Ralph Lauren’s scaled-down fashion show this week, a stark contrast with last season’s lavish anniversary extravaganza in Central Park.

There was no stage, no spotlights, just models sauntering casually among the tables at Ralph’s Café, Lauren’s recently opened café space at his Madison Avenue women’s store.

Guests munched on mini-croissants, egg-white frittatas and bagels with smoked salmon as models glided through the room in simple but flowing ensembles in a limited palette of black, white and gold.

Casual looks came first: all-white suits with widelegged trousers and military-style jackets, for example, or black pants with a shiny gold blazer. There was a series of dresses and jackets emblazoned with large white flowers on a black background.

For evening, it was more black, and especially more gold: a shiny gold floor-length cape, for example, or a shimmery strapless gown. Metallic knits were featured in both casual looks and party looks.

Lauren said he was aiming for a more personal feel this time around. “I wanted to create an intimate experience to share my vision in a more personal way,” he said in a statement.

Speaking of “statement,” there was plenty of statement jewelry, particularly large chunky hoop earrings. The models wore chunky wedge sandals and some carried a new oversized bag called the “RL50” handbag.

Last season, Lauren went all out for his 50th anniversary, taking over Bethesda Terrace in Central Park for a runway show and black-tie dinner that attracted celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Kanye West, Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Blake Lively and Jessica Chastain.