Ralph Lauren has pledged to restore one of Paris’ most famous art institutions, the École National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. The American fashion titan will fund a two-year modernisation project, which it will celebrate by hosting a catwalk show in the school’s grounds on October 8.
According to market sources, the project represents a financial commitment of several million dollars. Lauren’s first showing on a European runway will spotlight his fall women’s collection, with the designer also hosting a gala dinner in the school’s picturesque cobblestoned courtyard. Lauren plans to unveil his spring women’s collection on Sept. 12 during New York Fashion Week, in keeping with his usual show timing.
The École des Beaux-Arts, which has hosted an array of fashion shows and parties over the years, is a sprawling complex of buildings, mainly from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, prized for their elaborate frescoes, moldings and statuary. But much of the building and courtyard is in need of significant restoration.
The funds Ralph Lauren Corp. is providing are designated to restore the semicircular lecture theater at the heart of the school with its 90-foot Raphael-esque mural by Paul Delaroche. While preserving its period splendor, the amphitheater is to get improved stadium seating and the latest audio-visual equipment.
The restoration venture spotlights Lauren’s affection for Paris, home to his largest European store, which opened on nearby Boulevard Saint-Germain in 2010 in a painstakingly restored 17th-century town house. It also houses a sumptuous Ralph’s restaurant that in warm weather spreads to a leafy courtyard.
Lauren also chose Paris for a major exhibition devoted to his collection of vintage racing cars. That 2011 showcase at Les Arts Décoratifs attracted 155,000 visitors. Lauren and his son David, executive vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communication for Ralph Lauren Corp., were vacationing and not immediately available for comment.
The designer certainly has a soft spot for heritage buildings and objects, evident in the Rhinelander Mansion that is home to his men’s-only store in New York City.