Ralph Lauren Home’s New Collection Is a Love Letter to Milan
How does the ultimate all-American brand cause a sensation in Italy? The answer is impeccably in the case of Ralph Lauren, which celebrated its Milan Design Week debut this past June. Over the course of Salone del Mobile, the company welcomed industry insiders and assorted VIPs into its local headquarters, a 1941 rationalist palazzo designed by noted architect Mino Fiocchi. Guests stepped beyond the edifice’s marble façade to discover a fully realized world: rooms out-fitted with Ralph Lauren Home’s fall 2022 offerings, the courtyard transformed into a temporary Ralph’s dining space. Cappuccinos gave way to aperitivos as admirers immersed themselves morning to night. The starting point of the new collection—named Palazzo after the company’s digs—was Milan itself, with expert know-how at the core of each design. “I have long been inspired by the romance and timeless beauty of Milan—its winding cobblestone streets, the patina of its ancient façades, and its rich heritage of artisanal craftsmanship,” says the fashion legend. “When we discovered our palazzo in the late ’90s, I knew I had found our home in Milan.”
References for the Palazzo collection expanded to run the international gamut. Whereas the Montaigne console pays homage to French Rococo (think cabriole legs, hand-gilded foliate relief ), the Elsworth bar cabinet is a classic ode to Italy, incorporating walnut, maple, ebony, and mahogany inlay as marquetry. Fabrics tell their own story, ranging from classic tartans to bold zebra prints. Other highlights include the Falaise chandelier—a grand branching beauty rendered in natural brass—and the Bradburn chesterfield, a slender riff on the English sofa that breaks from the marshmallow heft and rolled arms of its traditional predecessor.
They’re the sort of pieces one might easily mistake for generations-olds heirlooms, which is precisely the spirit of the collection overall. Quality and authenticity—both to history and to the brand—form through lines. It’s a commitment Ralph Lauren will continue in Milan, where the company opened a European flagship, complete with The Bar at Ralph Lauren, on Via della Spiga last November. And plans are already under way for the city’s design week next year. In other words: The Italian job, part two. ralphlaurenhome.com
