Polo Ralph Lauren
FALL 2020 MENSWEAR
BY EMILY
FARRA
May 7, 2020
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2020-menswear/polo-ralph-lauren
Polo Ralph
Lauren’s low-key menswear presentation in early March was likely the last
fashion event many editors attended before New York’s coronavirus lockdown went
into effect. Knowing what we know now, we might have spent a bit longer in that
cozy, mahogany-paneled showroom, taking our time to chat with R.L. staffers and
sip Champagne at the corner bar instead of rushing back to the office. It isn’t
just that we’re nostalgic for those real-life interactions; any visit to
Lauren’s Madison Avenue H.Q. feels a little nostalgic, with its tufted
furniture, weathered rugs, and walls lined with vintage R.L. pieces. It’s
comforting to find yourself immersed in that warm, highly specific world just
moments after dodging pedestrians on the streets of Midtown. There’s also a
degree of comfort in knowing that, no matter what season it is or what’s
happening in the broader fashion conversation, you know what you’ll find in
there: tweed suits, madras plaids, Western motifs, stacks of cable knits, neat
rows of oxfords.
With the
fashion industry continuing to shift its attention from trends and novelty back
to quality, longevity, and sustainability, Polo’s fall 2020 collection felt
newly relevant in March. But in the wake of the coronavirus crisis—which has
bankrupted retailers and exposed the industry’s excesses and overproduction—it
feels especially on point. Now, the feeling seems to be that if you’re going to
make anything, it should be meaningful, intentional, and built to last. Much of
the new Polo collection qualified, especially the items that nodded to the
early days of Lauren’s brand: the three-piece suits, buttery suede coats, barn
jackets, and varsity knits. All of it, wearable, timeless, investment-worthy
stuff. Executive vice president and creative director John Wrazej pointed out
the more directional three-piece suits, including a few with cropped, wide
trousers plucked from another era. They were part of the Haberdashery line,
which is particularly big in Japan, as is vintage R.L. While novel, those items
were rooted in the past. More Polo guys will be drawn to the items with a
Southwestern spirit, like the soft blanket coats and a puffer with a retro
postcard print of wilderness explorers. Again: novel, but not disposable, and
destined to become a vintage trophy one day.
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