Ralph Lauren September Collection

Ralph Lauren unveils buy-it-now collection with romantic western theme

Ralph Lauren always does things in a big way. So when the legendary designer, who traditionally shows on the last morning of New York Fashion Week, decided to create an entirely new fall collection and make it available immediately in stores and online, he knew he couldn't present it in regular fashion.

He switched to a nighttime date, convinced New York City officials to close off busy Madison Avenue in front of his flagship store, and built a jewel box venue enclosed in glass to showcase what he dubbed his "September Collection" with the sidewalk as the runway. Famous models, ranging from young Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid to seasoned vets Carolyn Murphy and Stella Tennant, strolled the street in Lauren's creations before exiting the concrete runway into the store through the front door.

Lauren cut the total number of guests to 400 in back-to-back shows, and after each one was over, such influencers as Jessica Alba, Julianne Moore, and Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love entered the store, a historic New York mansion, to sip champagne and shop. "Please go upstairs and look at the collection," Lauren's son, David, encouraged the crowd.

The collection, which includes 40 looks, plays heavily on the Lauren brand's western heritage, with embroidered cowboy shirts; dresses in Navajo blanket patterns; jackets dripping in fringe; and a long brown suede coat embroidered at the shoulders, dubbed the "Houston" on the Ralph Lauren website.

Several nighttime pieces retain touches of cowboy culture while looking fresh and modern. A black column gown trimmed with studded brown saddle leather at the shoulders with a harness back is a stunner, while a glittery blue evening evening gown features a single brown leather horse bit running along the open back. And even those looks that aren't intrinsically western — like the gowns in popsicle shades that closed the show — were accessorized with black Stetsons and brushed silver belts.

To mark the end of the runway show, the draped store windows opened to reveal a high-tech video of graceful horses to emphasize the romantic western theme.

It is Lauren's second fall collection of the season. In February, he showcased an array of luxe looks just arriving in stores now, so there's a lot for his clients to choose from. If the "see it now, buy it now" gamble works, Lauren will show spring looks next February that will be available immediately.

Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love, right, and Kate Bock.

Kate Bock, Kevin Love at Ralph Lauren runway show

Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren

Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love, right, and Kate Bock.

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Recycle Materials, Not Ideas

Austin designers transform trash for spectacular fashion show

A Model preps for the 2023 Trash Makeover Challenge

Image courtesy of Zina Harding

In the Trash Makeover Challenge, at least 90 percent of the garment must be made from recycled material.

On Saturday, September 7, fashion and environmental advocacy will come together in a spectacular showing of flora and fauna at this year’s Trash Makeover Challenge.

The Trash Makeover Challenge, now in its 14th year, is a unique fashion show and live auction event supporting the Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE). Amateur and professional designers alike will send garments down the runway, where at least 90 percent of their materials must be recycled. Past shows have featured designs made entirely from Coca-Cola bottle caps, 600 fish scales sewn into a skirt, and once, live ladybugs released onto a garment.

This year’s theme is Avant-Garden. The entire night will be a whimsical and playful twist on avant-garde art and fashion combined with the natural world. Attendees (who are also highly encouraged to dress up on theme) can expect to see designs by artists Megan Pinto, Melissa Prentice, Myrna Lewis, Halima Abdul-Jaleel, Robyn Scully, Cindy Rellin, Teresa Klein, and Greg Lara.

There will also be a live auction featuring some truly delightful prizes: SXSW Music Passes for next year, a Thai cooking class with dinner for six, weekend getaways, jewelry from local artists, massages, and much more. One big-ticket local item is 40 dinners for two at some of Austin’s best restaurants including Bar Peached, Eddie V’s, and Moonshine Patio & Grill.

The live auction portion of the event from 2023 The event includes a live auction, with items like SXSW passes, dinners for two, massages, and more. Photo courtesy of Zina Harding.

Throughout the evening, guests can sip on themed cocktails (like the Tito’s Bee’s Knees with honey syrup and fresh lemon juice) and enjoy a delicious dinner, as the designers' fantastical creations march down the runway.

Some of the designs this year include garments made from hundreds of Scantron tests and clothing made out moss and live flowers.

Designer and teacher Teresa Klein says, “I have taken the used tests and exam Scantrons from hundreds of students and transformed them into thousands of beads that make up the base of my dress. Notes, paper, an old textbook, and other school-related paper makes up the flowered bodice. If we count all the hours my students spent studying, this look took thousands of hours!"

Teresa Klein's Trash Makeover Challenge design includes hundreds of recycled tests and scantrons Designer and teacher Teresa Klein is showing a look made from hundreds of recycled scantrons and tests from her students.Photo courtesy of Teresa Klein

Klein has participated in this event three times now, and her team came in third last year. She says this year, working with paper feels more "freeing."

"In past years, I've worked with plastics," she says. "This feels less toxic, but at the same time it has caused me to look at the usage of paper at my place of work. I am seeing the colors of a classroom in a different light."

Another designer, Greg Lara, has also participated in the event several times. In fact, his team won the People's Choice Award in 2023 and 2022, and was the overall winner in 2015. Lara says that he "love[s] that every year is a different theme." This year, Lara's design will feature materials like recycled poultry fencing, moss, real flowers, and garden netting.

"I love this event," says Lara, an amateur designer, hairstylist, and salon owner. "I will always participate."

Guest judges for this year’s fashion show include BiNi Scoor, the CEO and Founder of 212 Catalysts; Ilonka Soto-Pelyvas, owner and director of Austin School of Fashion Design; Patty Hoffpauir, owner of The Garden Room; and Sugar Gay Isber, owner and founder of Gay Isber Designs. The evening’s emcee will be KXAN’s Jala Washington.

And you better believe these judges have a lot of responsibility this evening. At stake for the winning designers’ teams are a grand prize of $3,000; a second place prize of $1,000; and prizes from $350-500 for third place, a People’s Choice, and “Seedling Awards” for new college designers.

"[Last year] my model was a co-founder of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit," Klein says. "We donated the winnings to that organization to help bring young people to their annual summit in the Coastal Bend."

The winning looks will be donated to TCE and reused for promotional purposes next year.

Trash Makeover Challenge winning design in 2023 The winning design in 2023, made by Megan Pinto.Photo courtesy of Megan Pinto

This fairytale-like event will take place at the Texas Disposal Systems Wildlife Ranch & Pavilion in South Austin. Tickets are $75 and include dinner, complimentary cocktails, the fashion show, and access to the live auction. Proceeds will go toward TCE’s work to protect public health and the environment in communities most affected by pollution from oil, gas, and petrochemical plants.

To learn more about the grassroots advocacy non-profit, Texas Campaign for the Environment, visit texasenvironment.org.

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