In years past, Ralph Lauren and Gucci have had equal footing in my mind: I cared little for either of them. It’s not that I liked them or disliked them; I didn’t think of them at all. Ralph Lauren was always too “Americana” for me, and their more affordable lines at Macy’s gave me a bad taste in my mouth, while Gucci assaulted my eyes with gaudy double “G” logos and an in-your-face maximalist aesthetic. YSL and Loewe have always been more my cup of tea. As a designer and general connoisseur of clothing, I have a basic desire every fashion week: I want to see something I have never seen before. There are always the shows like Margiela, stunning to watch, completely unrealistic to wear. And then there are the shows like YSL or Loewe, the ones breathing new life into classic pieces without taking away their wearability.
After randomly stumbling upon Ralph Lauren’s FW 2025/2026 runway show footage last year, I watched with renewed interest when I was unexpectedly caught up in the daydream he created with his designs. His use of texture and pattern was refreshing without being overpowering. As someone who is convinced florals have been deeply wronged throughout history (1970’s brown and orange floral couch, anyone?), it was satisfying to see them given new life with a subtle, balanced femininity. There was nothing loud about the show, even the music was unassuming. The mix of classic patterns, such as plaid, with an unexpectedly modern silhouette made the entire show feel utterly wearable, which is not a feeling I typically walk away with after binge watching runway footage. It was as if all my favorite styles and textures throughout the years had been given a beautiful and much needed facelift to bring them into the new decade looking fresh and full of life. He reminded me why I loved these styles in the first place.
This renewal of interest in RL’s couture collections had me looking forward to what he would create for F/W 2026/2027. Thinking I would breeze through the show at 1.5x speed, I immediately slowed it down and closed my other windows, so as to watch with undivided attention every swish and stride down the runway. It is rare for me to think, “I could have designed this” during a fashion show. Let’s be real; I am a newb. It is also rare for me to wholeheartedly wish I had designed something so beautiful, so ethereal. This was how it felt watching Ralph’s collection shimmering and shining down the aisles.
All the wearability from F/W 2025 had returned, with more stunning silhouettes brought to life through exceptional tailoring and delicious fabric choices. The velvet dresses were especially alluring. I wanted to run my hands all over them. There is something sensual about velvet’s movement which feels impossible to imitate. While the fabrics were screaming “touch me”, the palette was quiet and understated: a mix of chocolate, mocha, espresso, white, midnight blue and warm gray tones. It all felt incredibly... accessible.
It was as if he was giving us a glimpse into what someone can accomplish when they choose to keep going. When fashion was swinging towards streetwear and maximalism, the preppy Polo guy was relegated to the back corner of the fashion world, a has-been. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been not to be swayed by the rip tides of trends, especially when they are pushing cultural relevance further and further away from you. Did he wonder if he should hang up his measuring tape? If he had lost his touch? All I know is I am so glad he didn’t listen. What a gift this collection is to the fashion world. Ralph gave us water when we didn’t yet realize we were thirsty.
If Ralph Lauren’s F/W 2026 show had an unruly twin brother snorting coke off the table and feeling up his wife in the back room, the brother’s name would be Gucci. Not having followed the brand’s latest evolution under Demna or any of the other rebrands and re-rebrands the fashion house has suffered through over the past few decades, I had no preconceived expectations for the show. I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised, much as I was with the Ralph Lauren show. I was nostalgically picturing an inspired collection harkening to the Tom Ford 90’s glamor and sexy minimalism. In all fairness, it was a very minimalist collection… very. Ascetically so.
Without going into every gritty detail and without dissecting another designer’s hard work, I can say the art direction for the show was at least consistent. The music, venue, and lighting were all perfect parallels to each other: stark, sharp, edgy. Beyond these few factors, it felt as if I was watching a brand lose its identity right in front of my eyes.
The collection was sexy as one would expect from Gucci; the models as beautiful as ever. But instead of instilling within me a sense of aspiration and desire, I had the opposite reaction. I didn’t want to be these women. I didn’t want to look like these women. All but a few appeared unhappy and uncomfortable. I wanted to help them out of their obviously agonizing shoes, place a blanket over their bare shoulders, and pour them a hot cup of tea. In contrast, the Ralph Lauren models had an ease about them, not quite smiling, but content in their own skin. I am not laying the blame for the show at the feet of the models, but as the visual canvas for the brand, it is hard to ignore how ill-at-ease the Gucci models looked strutting painfully down the bright white runway, surrounded by dark space. If runway shows serve as a window into a fashion house’s soul, Gucci just proved it has none.
Until next time,
Elise
