Colman DomingoThomas Razzano/BFA.com
“Sorry I’m a little late—I wasn’t driving,” Lewis Hamilton was overheard quipping to publicists and security guards as he arrived to the gates of Palazzo Ralph Lauren in Milan. On Friday, the undeniably American brand’s soaring foothold on Via San Barnaba played backdrop to the latest menswear offering. Perfectly bedecked in RL Home furniture and with no shortage of white orchids on display, it’s practically a slice of U.S. soil abroad—so where better to welcome guests for the outing.
The F1 speedster, sporting a beige linen set that would surely earn the Kardashian stamp of approval, was making the most of his time away from the racetrack. Fresh from a win on the Barcelona circuit and slated to get behind the wheel again next weekend in Austria, he joined equally well-heeled names in the front row for a first look at the new Purple Label and Polo collections. Hamilton took his seat between Colman Domingo and David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer, who was there in his father’s stead. “I mean wow, how perfect was that?” Domingo, joined by his husband Raúl Domingo in matching aviator frames, asked fellow showgoers as they gathered in the atrium afterwards.
As waiters emerged with polished silver trays of Ridgway Margaritas, so too did the models from the show, some still sporting their runway looks and accessories like straw boater hats inspired by the Eton College rowing team, a crocodile motorcycle coat with a rumored six figure price tag, and tuxedo jackets made in collaboration with Japanese indigo house Kuon. All things considered, the wares will surely incite tiffs between celebrity stylists and the very-important-clients thanks to their ultra limited quantities.
With shopping lists complete, a dinner party beckoned at the brand’s boutique nearby on Via Della Spiga. Though most of the building is reserved for retail, the ground floor and back garden are known as Ralph’s, a European export of the beloved Polo Bar. Just like the Palazzo Ralph Lauren, it is an embassy for polished American splendor—and seemingly one of the only places where you can find a good cheeseburger in town. When it came time to make menu selections, most of the attendees opted for this treat as a break from their pasta and panini diet.
In attendance—and fully suited-and-booted despite the sweltering summer heat—were Henry Golding, Maluma, Scott Eastwood, Benjamin Clementine, and Tadanobu Asano, who had flown in from Japan for the occasion earning him special kudos from David Lauren during his toast. “I was so proud of what was created tonight by [creative director] John [Wrazej] and his team who work closely with my father,” Lauren told the room alongside his brother Andrew. “It was an amazing demonstration of the world of Ralph Lauren. It was elegant. It was sporty. It told a lot of stories, and each of those characters that came down the runway were beautiful.”
This world-building through pristinely styled characters is both an art and a science in the world of Ralph Lauren; a universe that incorporates tuxedoes spies, refined cowboys, daring aviators, and dashing university athletes all side by side. Looking around the room at the leading men gathered under the candlelit pergola, one couldn’t help but feel they had stepped into a fictional dinner party scene fitting of a grand fashion show in Milan. Regardless, it was just a taste of the impending celebrations that will soon ensue to celebrate the label’s 60th anniversary.
