Ralph Lauren draws fashion lovers to the horsey Hamptons for a diverse show of American fashion

BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y. — Ralph Lauren headed to the Hamptons to showcase his signature Americana feat, with first lady Jill Biden, Usher and Colman Domingo in the front row and Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and a host of adorable children on the runway.

On Thursday evening, horses and riders strolled through a nearby field surrounded by a white picket fence at the exclusive Bridgehampton equestrian center, and Lauren showed off bright white tennis outfits, baby blue dresses and jackets, and bright orange, green and yellow outfits for men, women and the aforementioned little ones.

The sun was setting as the outdoor show came to a close and Lauren’s guests headed for dinner at the temporary location of his iconic restaurant, Polo Bar.

Lauren, bowing with Biden at her side, has fond memories of the Hamptons, where he has a home and visited as a child. For his spring 2025 show, the day before New York Fashion Week officially begins, he chose Khalily Stables, a state-of-the-art, 19-acre equestrian complex with stables, barns, arenas and grass paddocks.

Lauren combined the Ralph Lauren collection, Purple Label products, Polo Ralph Lauren and childrenswear for an extra-long show that emphasized comfort during the perfect weather as summer turns to fall.

There were picnic looks in soft blue dresses, white pants and shorts paired with belts and jackets. There were evening looks, including a stunning blush pearl maxi skirt worn by Campbell with a white T-shirt tied up.

For men, Lauren suggested skinny trousers with cuffs, blue floral tuxedos and colourful contrasts in the form of orange trousers paired with navy blazers and wide, multi-coloured ties finished with pinstripe shirts.

White and blue dominated, with a touch of crochet and khaki. He added some sparkle in slinky, sequined evening gowns, white cocktail dresses with open backs, and blue blouses, adding a touch of pixie dust to ripped khaki pants and other looks.

Lauren’s little ones, from preschoolers to teenagers, were ready for anything.

One wore white shorts and a green raincoat worthy of the US Open, which the company had just sponsored for the uniforms of the soccer teams and the on-court referees. Others wore riding boots with blue polo shirts and matching pants. Still more were the little prepsters in pinstriped button-down shirts, navy jackets and short white pants.

The spectacle, Usher later reflected, was “American life. This is American love. This is family.”

Lauren’s other guest, Tom Hiddleston, agreed. “It’s such a precise and intelligent vision because you think, I want to be a part of that. I want to live that,” he said. “Very inspiring.”

Domingo added: “You could literally see people of all different colors, shapes and sizes who felt like they fit together and belonged together.”

Another guest, Jude Law, summed it up this way: “Striving for a better place.”

Lauren’s guests also included Naomi Watts, Kasey Musgraves, Demi Singleton, and Justin Theroux. As did Kim Min-jeong, aka Winter, of the K-pop girl group Aespa.

In Lauren’s show notes, he wrote that the Hamptons is “more than just a place. It’s a natural world of endless blue skies, ocean, green fields and white picket fences, rustic elegance with a quality of light that drew artists here decades ago.”

He called the summer haven for New Yorkers like himself his home away from home, “my refuge and always my inspiration.” Perhaps Lauren has better luck with the travel gods who oversee New York traffic. Some of his city guests, who didn’t have access to chartered helicopters, spent four hours battling traffic to get to his show.

The company had a great year. In addition to the US Open, Lauren dressed Team USA for the Paris Games.