Though Ralph himself did not make the trip from the states, opting instead to watch from a live stream in New York, there was no shortage of star power. Looking on from the front row were a who’s who in the world of new guard leading men: Henry Golding, Liam Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Colman Domingo, Morgan Spector, Benito Skinner, and Nick Jonas.
“I always think of my father when I’m here, because this is the place where he would show me just how men were dressing,” David recalled. “We would walk the streets and see how Polo or Purple Label had become part of the culture. He’d say, ‘If it works in Italy, it means you’re a global brand.’”
Following the show, as the models emerged from backstage to mingle with guests for canapés and cocktails, the scene became a veritable trunk show. “I think I need that Yankee bomber jacket,” Golding told VF. He was just one of many guests, celebrity and otherwise, who were already drafting their wish lists. For the TikTok set, it was a particular Western fringe jacket that caught their eye, and for the discerning group of department store buyers, a trio of military-inspired officer coats not seen in the brand’s design canon since the late-90s.
The only thing that could tempt some guests to exit was the promise of a meal at the nearby Ralph’s Bar, a smaller satellite version of New York’s The Polo Bar inside the Ralph Lauren Milan flagship store on Via della Spiga. Here, a more subdued atmosphere unfolded for a select few, with Hemsworth and fiancée Gabriella Brooks unwinding in the back loggia making plans for a return to the French Alps, and Domingo with husband Raúl in the wood-paneled bar enjoying Ridgway margaritas; a recipe perfected in the home bar at Lauren’s Double RL Ranch in Colorado. Cast in a warm glow and dotted with equestrian oil paintings and paraphernalia, it all felt a world away from the scrum of flashbulbs and screaming fans outside, and nothing short of glamorous.