No designer captures the essence of romantic escape quite like Ralph Lauren. His Fall 2025 runway show, held in a Lower Manhattan art gallery, transported guests into a world tinged with fantasy, beauty, and timeless elegance. While the clothes weren’t pulled from a literal fairytale, the atmosphere evoked the same kind of dreamy immersion that fans of the romantasy genre—fiction that blends romance and fantasy—have come to crave. Lauren offered a vision of escape that felt grounded yet otherworldly, romantic yet wearable.
The designer, now 85, appears increasingly reflective, opting for venues that hold personal or symbolic significance. While past shows were staged at his private office and a longtime horse farm in the Hamptons, this season he chose a chic, urban space with high whitewashed walls and a dramatically carved ceiling. The art gallery’s architecture offered a dramatic entrance: models descended a spiral staircase from a second-story balcony, passing close to celebrity guests like Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Naomi Watts, Kacey Musgraves, and Ariana DeBose—who wore a dandy-inspired gray pinstriped suit paired with vintage-style marcelled waves.
According to the show notes, Lauren selected a daylight venue to intentionally contrast with the moody tone of the garments. The collection, titled “The Modern Romantics,” paid homage to both the British Romantics and the New Romantics of the 1980s. The fashion conveyed a deep sense of historical layering through long coats, high boots, soft ruffles, rich velvets, and high collars. Leather also played a major role, particularly in black trousers and standout jackets—including one masterpiece that began as smooth brown leather at the top and gradually shifted into hand-distressed suede at the hem. Each piece was hand-crafted, making every jacket entirely unique.
Lauren explored gender expression with a mix of soft, feminine silhouettes and masculine tailoring. Velvet-draped damsels and lace-collared dandies walked the same runway, creating a visual dialogue between tradition and fluidity. A paisley velvet mini dress leaned into bohemian styling, though it carried a darker, more mysterious tone than the sunshine-infused versions seen from brands like Chloé. References bounced between the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in a sequined, hand-beaded sweater—a tribute to a piece once modeled by Clotilde Holby in a Ralph Lauren campaign from that era.
Despite the collection’s romantic and period-inspired nature, it remained rooted in Lauren’s signature American sportswear aesthetic. The juxtaposition of ornate embellishments with wearable silhouettes served as a reminder that fantasy and functionality can coexist harmoniously in fashion.
The show culminated in a heartfelt moment as Ralph Lauren appeared on the upper balcony, dressed in a black sweater featuring a bold white bull’s skull design. His wave prompted an immediate standing ovation from the crowd, recognizing not only his enduring legacy but also his gift for transporting audiences to a more beautiful, imaginative world—one runway show at a time.
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