Ralph Lauren pre-fall 2015

As with anything, when it appears to be simple, everyone thinks they can do it too. Such is obviously not the case when you look at the huge amounts of bad fashion that are offered for this simple non-season. Only WWD and Style.com have hyped this into a season of note but no matter as Ralph is unfazed!

The first thing that came to mind is that the collection reminded me of Michael Kors … oh wait!!! Meaning the Michael Kors that once was and not the present tense of his collections; the one who was all about chic and American sportswear. Ralph does what most don’t and cannot ... He perseveres, he insists and he emphatically reminds us that good design and great styling can win out over all the bells and whistles and trends that destroy so many designers and their collections.

The design team of Ralph Lauren is a well-oiled machine that works as a unit. They consistently pump out collections that promote their DNA and they constantly massage and enlarge their vocabulary. One cannot exactly say that fringe is “stop the presses” moment in fashion  but look at it !!!!. Pairing a beaded cashmere with a suede or  box pleated georgette skirt is about as au courant as you can get but if you are savvy enough you realize it was  done almost 50 years ago by pioneer  7^th Avenue designers of that era. Ralph makes women want what their mothers wore and they don’t even know it!

Every season, my reviews discuss the consistency and the simplicity and just the amazing chic that is evoked by assembling the pieces of the puzzle in a new way to result in a new seasonal mood! To my mind, if you cannot see the value in a collection like this then you really have no understanding of fashion!