On the far south tip of Long Island, past East Hampton and Sagaponack and somewhere in the shadow of Gatsby’s West Egg, lies a place that could be called the Ralph Hamptons: the Hamptons of designer Ralph Lauren’s mind.
Ralph Hampton is a place of green fields and blue skies, horse farms and Aston Martins and old fashioned. At Ralph Hampton all sharp edges are sanded, all teeth shine, and even distressed jeans come in silk and studded with sparkle. It’s a very attractive place to spend an hour or two – if also one that is increasingly removed from reality.
Or so it seemed on the eve of New York Fashion Week, when Mr. Lauren hosted his fantasy getaway at Khalili Stables (officially in Bridgehampton) and invited 250 guests to make the several-hour drive east from New York City.
Jill Biden, the first lady to wear a Ralph Lauren dress to the Democratic National Convention, came (of course) wearing Ralph Lauren. So did Jude Law, Usher, Naomi Watts and Coleman Domingo. The guests, including journalists, were brought in by helicopters, seaplanes, black SUVs and jets. The excuse was a fashion show, but the point was to escape.
“They told me I was the only one who drove by myself!” Stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, who spent the summer on the road, white-jacketed waiters passed out mini pastrami sandwiches and lobster rolls, influencers took selfies with leather saddles, and horses poked their noses outside their stalls.
What would one wear in such a world? At 84, Mr. Loren has built an empire on the answer, and for the past few years has been building his fashion shows to speak to different dimensions of life, like a streaming series where each season is new. Episode at a new location. He has held shows between them A collection of classic cars Connecticut and its Madison Avenue Office; reproduced His Colorado ranch And his Manhattan living room.
Ralph Hampton (Mr. Lauren has a home in Montauk) was just the latest, most extreme iteration: more than 100 looks from his Purple Label and Polo line; A sea of crochet and linen, denim, tuxedos and American flags.
The strapless dress in watery blues was covered in sequins so it sparkled like the sun on the bay. A ribbed white tank top was paired with a long gold skirt embroidered in gold bullion. A navy silk bathrobe was thrown over the suit. There were stripes upon stripes upon stripes and nods to the Yankees and the Olympics (Mr. Loren is Official outfitter of Team USA. for the opening and closing ceremonies), all worn by a multigenerational cast, including some baby models who looked as if they were on the runway for the first time. Christy Turlington Burns walked as did her daughter, Grace Burns, and her nephew, James Turlington.
Finally, Mr. Lawrence took his bow in a motocross jacket from his Olympic kit, inspired by his own driving feats, and guests were ushered through a backstage door and into a towering reproduction of the Polo Bar, Mr. Lawrence. A New York restaurant, complete with silver champagne bowls, billiard tables, walls in green, and real maître d’, who were imported for the evening.
“I thought fashion had become boring,” said Mr. Loren, his wife, Ricky, and Dr. Sitting next to Biden at his corner table. “But I had more to share.” Hence the welcome My-World nature of the event.
It was an exercise in imagination and power, but it was also kind of absurd—asking everyone to travel hours to watch the show and eat at a fake version of a real restaurant that exists … back where many of them started. . The problem is, at a time when the stakes of the outside world feel increasingly urgent, and the question is how to dress for the moment, what was ultimately served was not burgers and local wine, but disconnection.
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