Previously on Spring 2014: The Row, J.W. Anderson, Prabal Gurung and Peter Pilotto.
Ralph Lauren
I have mixed feelings on the topic of Ralph Lauren, mostly because I used to work for them and therefore lived through several months of semi-successful corporate brainwashing. Without the brainwashing, my feelings would be decidedly
un-mixed, because their designs are largely dull as balls. As it stands, I know
way more about Ralph Lauren than any other designer, which forces me to think critically about the brand as a whole. Ugh.
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| All images via Style.com |
Ralph Lauren's high-end work (ie, the stuff you see at Fashion Week) is occasionally interesting, but their lower-price labels are generally an exercise in non-fashion. The purpose of Ralph Lauren clothes is to maintain a supposedly timeless preppy/equestrian/American royalty look, which primarily means a lot of v-neck sweaters, beige, faux prep schoolwear, and touches of feminised "menswear-inspired" shirts and blazers. The ideal Ralph Lauren woman is rich and vaguely sporty, but not really interested in "fashion" so much as interested in looking... rich and vaguely sporty. While
other major labels like Dior and Chanel do rely on a certain amount of
recycling in order to retain a recognisable brand style, Ralph Lauren is
basically in a constant state of self-consumption.
