Designer A-Z

Ralph Lauren

Spring/Summer 2010

SHOW SCHEDULES

By Avril Mair

Sometimes you know that you’re watching a master at work.

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Ralph Lauren’s spring/summer 2010 show was a powerful elegy to dustbowl America. The designer has always been inspired by work wear, as he explained in his programme notes, but this collection took his interest in a new, almost political direction: a tribute to the spirit of American resiliency. Sound tracked by the folk music of Woody Guthrie, the focus was denim - torn, ripped, faded, turned up and then silk and lame dyed to look like denim. There were other things, of course: washed out rose print tea dresses, sweet with ankle socks and lace-up shoes, and a perfect man’s suit, downsized and worn with a baker boy cap. But from the first outfit - oversized jeans with a blue work shirt and a men’s navy jacket - it was clear that Lauren had found beauty in this most utilitarian of fabrics. As the show went on, the denim became more embellished, worn with fine glittering sandals or a piece that will surely be a huge editorial hit next season - completely covered in crystals, save for their frayed holes. For evening, the striped shirtdresses that appeared at the start were repeated in heavy sequins, while the dungarees were reworked as a floor-sweeping dress. Janet Jackson, sitting front row, leapt to her feet as the designer took his bow. Bravo indeed.