BEDFORD, N.Y. — Lauren. Ralph Lauren.
James Bond may have had a couple Aston Martins, and a Bentley or two. But Ralph Lauren? He has dozens upon dozens of vintage cars — hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth. And on Sept. 12, Lauren used those gleaming specimens of automotive glory — said to be one of the largest collections in the world, and long kept relatively hidden — to display his latest fashion line, taking the concept of site-specific fashion shows to new (and expensive) heights.
In what had to have been one of the most opulent settings ever devised for a fashion show, a fleet of black SUVs, all playing the same jazz music, ferried some 300 guests out to a multi-level garage in suburban Westchester County, N.Y., just off the highway and not far from Lauren’s home. Inside, guests sipped champagne and munched on the signature fried olives from Lauren’s Polo Bar in midtown Manhattan. Most of all, they gawked at the shiny cars — an eye-popping collection of McLarens, Bugattis, Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys and whatever else you can imagine.
Actresses Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton chatted. Jessica Chastain, in a white pantsuit that matched the immaculate carpeting, posed for photos. Also there: fellow fashion luminaries Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenberg, along with Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
When it was time for the fashion show — yes, there were clothes, too — guests sat on leather banquettes. The soundtrack began with the “vroom, vroom” of engines starting — later morphing into some familiar notes from James Bond movie scores.
