After a four-year absence from the city’s official catwalk season, Ralph Lauren will make a runway return to New York Fashion Week in September. On Friday, September 8, the renowned American designer will host a runway show in an unannounced location. His choice will be a huge boost for New York Fashion Week, which in recent years has seen shows from well-known designers like Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tom Ford take place frequently outside of New York or in other countries. Despite it being the haute couture season, even Thom Browne, the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the group that oversees US fashion, debuted a collection in Paris last week.
The decision, which a Ralph Lauren spokeswoman confirmed, comes at a critical time for the brand. Following the release of the company’s unexpectedly good fourth quarter earnings in May, Ralph Lauren shares increased 8% in trading. On a constant currency basis, the company expects fiscal 2024 revenue to increase by a low-single digit amount. Analysts anticipate a 6.73 billion dollar increase, or 5.6%.
Ralph established Ralph’s Club, a Jazz Era club at 48 Wall Street, on September 7, 2019, which is when his most recent performance appeared on the official New York schedule. In a dapper white tuxedo, Ralph welcomed guests to his one-night-only supper club, where models strutted in front of the bar, patrons donned tails, and Janelle Monáe performed vintage torch ballads while perched on tables.
Since then, Lauren has emceed a gala event at a Los Angeles botanical garden in October 2022, which was attended by a who’s who of big-name celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Diane Keaton, and Laura Dern.
