On the heels of Julia Roberts’ appearance at the Tuesday night Jacquemus dinner, in walked another NYFW rarity — the one and only Oprah — to the Ralph Lauren show on Wednesday. She was of course joined by Gayle King, and made a beeline for Laura Dern and her daughter, Jaya, for hugs.
Moments before, Ralph Lauren fragrance spokesman Usher made good on his duties and was spritzed with the brand’s cologne by a dedicated staffer as he made his way to his seat.
Other front row guests included Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, Naomi Watts, Jessica Chastain, Ariana DeBose and Mindy Kaling.
Dern, sitting with her 20-year-old daughter Jaya, reflected on the passing of Giorgio Armani.
“I feel very blessed and Jaya got to have the privilege of knowing him and amazing Roberta and the family,” Dern said. “Mr. Armani dressed me since I was younger than Jaya, 19 or 20. [He dressed me for] my first Oscars, but before that, I think the first time I went to the Cannes Film Festival.”
Her relationship with Ralph Lauren is also a family one. Her father, Bruce Dern, played Tom Buchanan in the 1974 version of “The Great Gatsby,” which Lauren designed the costumes for.
“I had the privilege of knowing him since I was a toddler, and he was very close to my father and Robert Redford,” Dern said. “And so I got to grow up knowing him and his children and he means the world to me as a designer and a man. And so Jaya and my son Ellery have known him and the brand their whole lives.”
Chopra Jonas and Jonas have also had Ralph Lauren in their lives for years.
“Ralph Lauren has been a big part of our story: we met at the Met wearing Ralph, so it just feels like we’ll always be up to support him,” Chopra Jonas said.
“The thing I love about Ralph Lauren’s designs has been that they’ve stuck to the classic silhouettes and the things we all love about the heritage of the brand while still pushing envelope every time and doing they make you feel confident, comfortable, and I’m just a huge fan,” Jonas said.
His favorite Ralph Lauren item?
“Probably my tuxedo from the wedding. They ended up dressing us for the wedding and I have it in my closet,” he said.
Both the garments are at home, carefully preserved.
“I haven’t touched the tuxedo since,” Jonas said.
“It’s air temperature preserved,” Chopra Jonas added.