Yes I Am Still Thinking About Ralph Lauren's Fall 2026 Menswear Collection, Thanks For Asking

Some thoughts on the first menswear runways of the year, and what they can tell us about where fashion is headed in 2026.

In the midst of the first official runway season of the year, as menswear collections are being shown across Milan, and now Paris, we’re finally getting a glimpse of what fashion will look like in 2026.

And so far, the clothing we’re seeing on the menswear runways is pretty consistent with what we’ve seen in seasons past. We saw grey suits in around 13% of Zegna’s collection, navy blue suits in 7% of Giorgio Armani’s collection, and even brown and beige suits in 19% of Soshiotsuki’s collection. This season, it looks like it’s business (literally) as usual.

However, amidst the sea of suiting, there was one collection that everyone seemed to not just be eagerly talking about, but praising. And that would be Ralph Lauren.

That’s right, Ralph Lauren, perhaps the most notable American luxury fashion brand that almost always stages its runway shows in the United States, showed at Milan menswear week. Not to mention this was also Ralph Lauren’s first time back on the official men’s calendar in twenty years. Front row guests included Colman Domingo, Tom Hiddleston, and Henry Golding. It was a star-studded night to remember, and that’s not even including what happened on the runway. Of course, there were lots of suits, but there was also so much more.

So, what exactly was it about Ralph Lauren’s latest menswear collection that made it so incredible? And what does it mean for where fashion might be headed in 2026?

THE POWER IN KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT

I’ve previously written about the importance of brands knowing what they’re good at and, rather than innovating for the sake of innovating, sticking to it. Most notably, last year we witnessed the comeback arcs of brands like Burberry, Coach, and Tory Burch, which all had newly embraced their brand’s hallmarks consumers had come to love (plaid scarves, logo shoulder bags, and innovative shoes, respectively). And as simple as “stick to what you’re good at” may sound, it can actually feel counterintuitive in today’s fast-paced, micro-trends-driven fashion landscape.

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Take, for example, high-fashion’s revolving door of creative directors, with many brands often swapping out designers with the hope of rejuvenating a brand and staying top-of-mind for consumers. And how along with a new designer usually comes a whole new brand identity. Like when Gucci went from Alessandro Michele’s loud maximalism to Sabato de Sarno’s refined minimalism in just one season; when Versace went from Donatella’s glamour to Dario Vitale’s colorful, ‘80s aesthetic in only a couple of months.

Ralph Lauren himself, however, has been at the helm of his brand since it was founded nearly sixty years ago. That kind of consistency—in both a brand’s creative director and its corresponding brand identity—is incredibly rare in luxury fashion today. Ralph Lauren, for decades, has been known for preppy, well-tailored, sporty, classic Americana style, and that’s exactly what we saw on last week’s runway.

It’s also a testament to how, rather than brands having to change course to keep consumers interested or to weather difficult patches (note how the great creative director reset of 2025 also occurred while the fashion industry was in quite the slump), perhaps one way to deal with fashion’s constant pressure for change is to…ignore it altogether? And, instead, be Really Freaking Consistent. At least at Ralph Lauren, it’s working.