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Ralph Lauren celebrates 50th anniversary with Central Park show

July 23, 2018

Ralph Lauren's runway show at his home in New York in September 2017. Image credit: Ralph Lauren

 

To mark a half-century in business, U.S. fashion label Ralph Lauren is giving back to its hometown of New York.

On Friday, Sept. 7, Ralph Lauren will hold a fashion show and dinner at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park during New York Fashion Week. The event will benefit the Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the public space.

Fashion meets folliage
A native New Yorker, Ralph Lauren's eponymous founder has been a longtime supporter of Central Park. A decade ago, the designer feted his 40th anniversary in fashion with an event at the Conservatory Garden.

Bethesda Terrace. Image credit: Central Park

Ralph Lauren has recently staged runway shows in unexpected locations that are significant to the brand and its founder.

In 2016, the brand held runway shows outside of its Madison Avenue flagship store, closing off the block for the presentation.

Ralph Lauren also drew tangible parallels between its designs and the automobiles by which its founder is inspired in its show last September. The designer showcased both its women’s and menswear collections at Mr. Lauren’s private garage in Bedford, NY (see story).

As the brand turns 50, it is looking back on Mr. Lauren’s impact on fashion.

Ralph Lauren is marking its eponymous designer’s 50th anniversary in the fashion industry through print.

Celebrating the occasion, the label worked with Rizzoli to publish an updated and expanded version of the book “Ralph Lauren,” which focuses on both Mr. Lauren’s personal and professional lives. This offers a chance for fans to get a better sense of Mr. Lauren as an individual and the $7 billion clothing brand he founded (see story).