At Milan Fashion Week Men’s, Ralph Lauren speaks to a younger crowd
By Kati Chitrakorn, CNN
Milan, Italy (CNN) — Sporting striped rugby shirts, tangy orange puffers and baseball caps (worn backwards), the kids were out on Friday night in Milan and they were modelling looks, which also included racing jackets and slouchy beanies, from Ralph Lauren’s Fall-Winter 2026 show during the city’s Men’s Fashion Week.
Staged at the Palazzo Ralph Lauren, a grand but cozy private mansion in the heart of the city, the runway show was the brand’s first in the Italian city in over two decades. It featured designs from the premium Purple label, which promises the finest tailoring and materials, and its younger-leaning counterpart, Polo, which comes with a preppy, sportier edge.
Polo came out first on the catwalk – an indication that Ralph Lauren is well aware of Gen Z’s growing affinity for the label, due in part to its popular coffee shops (Ralph’s, of which there are now over 30 worldwide) and pop culture associations (it was the brand of choice for Taylor Swift when she revealed her engagement to Travis Kelce in 2025).
Surprisingly, younger customers have not been deterred by the fact that the label was loved by their parents (and likely their grandparents too). As of 2025, Ralph Lauren ranked second to Gucci as the most desirable luxury brand to consumers under age 35, according to research firm Kantar.
On the runway, styles ran the gamut from western to Ivy League prep to formal, seemingly offering something for everyone on the front row, from Noah Schnapp, the 21-year-old star of “Stranger Things,” to Tony Leung, the legendary Hong Kong actor in his 60s. Also among them was Colman Domingo, Nick Jonas, Liam Hemsworth, Mark Lee of the K-pop band NCT, Henry Golding, Morgan Spector and Tom Hiddleston, creating arguably one of the more diverse celebrity turnouts at a fashion show.
Youthful as some of the pieces may be – see the true-to-life styling of a scarf or sweater spilling out of a cloth tote, or a new take on the cameo in the form of a foliage or duck print; it didn’t feel like an attempt to keep up with the kids – but rather an opportunity the brand seized to foster greater connection with a new generation. As Gen Z shoppers begin to discover the world of Ralph Lauren, why not show the full scope of what that universe could be?
Since launching ties in 1967, and subsequently the first full menswear collection under the “Polo” brand name in 1968, Ralph Lauren has become a global empire, synonymous with aspirational, classic all-American style. That growth has come without eroding prestige: Ralph Lauren has been one of the few brands outside the ultra-luxury segment (Hermès, Brunello Cucinelli) to buck the broader sector downturn, reaching $7.1 billion in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2025.
Returning to Milan is a homecoming of sorts: Ralph Lauren first showed in the city in January 2002 and has returned periodically since, typically showing its Purple label via a more low-key presentation format. Friday’s runway show precedes the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, for which Ralph Lauren is outfitting Team USA. (Since the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, the Polo brand has been a mainstay at the Olympics as well as other sporting events like Wimbledon and the US Open.)
As the designer Ralph Lauren wrote in his show notes, “I started with a tie, but it was never just about a tie, but a way of living. When I began designing menswear, I was drawn to the timeless elements of tradition, but I was never bound by it. The essence of what I do lives in the many styles and moods that I create.” The new collections, he continued, “are inspired by the different ways men live, their individuality and personal style.”
His statement was perhaps best encapsulated by the surprise runway appearance from Tyson Beckford, a male supermodel of the ’90s who was once the face of Polo Sport and Polo Fragrances. Stepping out in a tux, tucked into hiking boots and styled with a shaggy cashmere coat and hat, Beckford’s suave and swagger was unmissable, and drives home the brand’s ability to transcend generations. Once a Ralph guy, always a Ralph guy.
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