This season, Ralph Lauren returned to Milan with his first runway show in the city in more than two decades. For a designer of Lauren’s stature, one of the last true legends of his generation, the front row reflected his stature, drawing a starry crowd that included Nick Jonas, Tom Hiddleston, Liam Hemsworth, Colman Domingo, Vinnie Hacker, and Tony Leung Ka-fai. The collection itself marked a significant moment as well, with the house presenting Purple Label and Polo Ralph Lauren together on the runway for the first time.

For Mr. Lauren, it all started with a tie. In the collection’s show notes, he writes about his relationship with menswear. “I started with a tie, but it was never just about a tie – it was a way of living. When I began designing menswear, I was drawn to timeless tradition but never bound by it. What I do lives in the many styles and moods I create.”

Consequently, the Ralph Lauren Fall 2026 collection was a huge and eclectic affair, spanning over 70 looks. The majority of the opening looks were classic Ralph Lauren – popped collar sports shirts, cosy patterned knit jumpers, pure Americana denims, and so on. There was an emphasis on workwear reinterpreted as casual wear, as well as some surprisingly avant-garde flourishes, such as jeans that came pre-splattered with paint.

The Polo portion of the collection had suiting at its core, shuffling between casual and formal. Relaxed tailoring, like the slouchy glen plaid suit in Look #22, gave way to full tuxedos, embellished with gold detailing and styled with ballet flats (yes, for men!). The Purple Label segment reimagined Ralph Lauren’s most enduring icons through a luxurious lens. Sport coats appeared in cashmere, while ski suits were cinched with ostentatious belts. Jumpers, naturally, were worn nonchalantly tied around the neck and monogrammed “RL” slippers suggested that we have a particularly cosy winter to come.