Ralph Lauren’s American Classics Take a Walk on the Romantic Side

2 min read

Self-reference can be tricky territory, especially for a designer with an archive as deep as Ralph Lauren’s. But for his spring/summer 2027 collection, the stalwart designer revisited his signatures while finding new ways to cut, layer, and style the classics.

This afternoon, Lauren drew an intimate but expectedly A-list crowd inside an Italian Renaissance Revival landmark building in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. As guests like Viola Davis, Meghann Fahy, and Cynthia Erivo settled into their seats, the show opened with a head-to-toe white look. It was a familiar Lauren move, and a fitting way to begin a collection that would take a knowing walk through the archive.

What came next was a wide-ranging interpretation of Lauren’s world, moving from elevated “going out” looks to polished prep, with suiting at its sharpest. The Laurenisms were all there: the necktie, tucked beneath a brocade vest; a cable-knit cardigan worn with a white Oxford; and a handful of tailored suits, one cut with a sweeping, skirt-like silhouette. Together, they recalled the six-decade-old codes that have made his brand a New York Fashion Week fixture—and, more broadly, a shorthand for American style.

While Lauren is most associated with a particular kind of polished Americana, he wasn’t afraid to show his more rebellious side. Distressed denim was slung low on the hips and paired with a midriff-baring jacket lined with a shearling collar. Elsewhere, a slim jacquard jacket, cut away with a tail at the back, and a blouse finished with a ruffled Victorian collar added a touch of Old World romanticism.

In the collection’s show notes, the designer cited an “irreverent take on romance,” an ethos that carried through to both the silhouette and styling. Trousers were draped with ease, many of them worn with cummerbunds and fringed scarves affixed low on the waist.

Evening wear struck a similar balance. The silhouettes were familiar—fluid dresses, velvet robes, and shimmering separates—but new techniques gave them a looseness and texture that felt of the moment. Sequins dissolved into fringe, single-seam construction allowed one wrap dress to fall around the body with effortless ease, and “spritz and tumble” dresses had an intentional wrinkled consistency.

“It’s about ways of dressing that celebrate ingenuity, originality, and character—the freedom and fun of creating a style that is truly personal,” Lauren continued. In his world, there is always room to make the classics your own.

Matthew Velasco is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. Based in New York City, he previously worked as a News Writer at W magazine and an Assistant Editor at V magazine. Outside of fashion, he enjoys interior design, tennis (both watching and playing), and a jam-packed antique store.