Ralph Lauren Spring 2017 - Runway Review

Against a backdrop of more than 100,000 orchids spanning floor to ceiling across two floors of his women’s Madison Avenue mansion, Ralph Lauren unveiled his second see-now-buy-now collection, one whose geographic definition was purposefully difficult to pinpoint. Dreamlike? Exotic? Yes and yes.

The show opened with a sandy palette of off-whites, beiges and light golds. Lauren stayed relatively conservative, showing just glimpses of skin via a bared shoulder or exposed midriff. But the overarching message was one of fluidity of ease: a jacket handwoven from strips of suede and leather worn over a washed silk dress, a burnished gold dress with petal skirt under a distressed leather jacket.

Under the guise of “spring has sprung,” Lauren’s oasis offered a momentary solace. A strong safari influence came through most strongly in the shrunken proportions and sunbaked patina. Accessories included oversize cheetah-print satchels and sleek python wedges.

For evening, it was high-shine and iridescent gold all the way. From slinky metallic cocktail dresses to goddess gowns in lovely shades of jade and purple, they were exquisite in their use of micro paillettes and liquid lamés. And for a dose of sporty-chic, there was the floor-length dress that shimmered with a floral print and was layered over distressed denim jeans.