By Danielle Kaye
NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Ralph Lauren showcased voluminous pants paired with a line of navy and white coats for the brand’s spring 2027 collection, infusing traditional silhouettes with contemporary flair on the eve of New York Fashion Week.
The 86-year old designer Ralph Lauren, who founded the brand in 1967, made a brief appearance at the end of Wednesday’s show, waving to the audience who greeted him in applause. In a statement, he called the spring collection an “irreverent take on romance that creates a new elegance.”
Models walked the runway at the Jack Shainman Gallery in lower Manhattan wearing denim jackets adorned with feathers, tailored white suits and form-fitting tops. The women’s collection also featured draped floor-length gowns in a display of the formal side of the brand’s designs.
Actors Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo were among the front-row spectators, seated alongside David Lauren, the only one of Ralph’s three children who remains heavily involved in the company.
The New York-based premium apparel firm has reported strong growth in recent quarters despite broader strain on the luxury sector, as it has widened its appeal among a younger generation of shoppers while maintaining a multi-generational consumer base.
“You have a combination of very sophisticated types of styles and then much more easy to wear, accessible types of styles. It covers all possible generations,” CEO Patrice Louvet told Reuters after the runway show, underscoring the potential for the brand to keep growing its women’s business.
“We’re about inclusive luxury,” Louvet added.
Ralph Lauren’s assortment of price points has helped keep sales afloat, analysts say, even as inflation-wary shoppers pull back on discretionary spending and shy away from price hikes from luxury rivals.
The brand began a turnaround plan about a decade ago when it hired its first outside CEO, helping to revive sales in recent years through a sharper focus on high-end apparel.
New York Fashion Week is set to run through September 15, featuring about 70 runway shows and designer presentations.
(Reporting by Danielle Kaye, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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