I had an invitation to visit the new spring collection from the Ralph Lauren showroom on Bond Street last week. California Romantic is the new theme for this season and it indeed evokes the dream we all have of that big state of mountains, deserts, vineyards, endless shore, long drives, pleasant weather, good food and wonderful wine.
From this photo you can imagine the vineyard this balcony must over look.
And from here you can imagine the Pacific outside, maybe even hear the waves breaking.
Ralph Lauren as a design company has developed an element of design that is my ethos and in my heart: design is about imagination. This company delves deep into our imaginations and can take us to a city, a time, a movie, a book, a region. It does this with the use of materials, colors, patterns, textures and furnishings that create the ambience of that period or place in our mind.
For the California Romantic collection a selection of leather and suede covers chairs and pillows that create that feel of the west, a 40's style club chair covered in leather attached with nickle studs and whip stitched like an old buck skin jacket. A snake skin pillow thrown on it for extra comfort and texture.
Another evocative theme in the showroom was the Urban Loft introducing a pallet of sophisticated tones and teamed with a handsome and masculine selection of fabrics of men suits:
A herringbone that would look marvelous on a wing back chair, a large white sofa covered with pillows of gentleman's fabrics for an apartment overlooking the the stock exchange or a city flat that has the dome of St Paul's in view... easy to fall into the narrative of an Urban Loft.
