Emma Roberts has been on “best dressed” lists since she was a tween, so when it comes to fashion, the actor knows what she’s talking about. And on Friday night—between hair and makeup, while getting ready to kick off New York Fashion Week—she wanted to talk about Ralph Lauren.
The star invited Cosmopolitan behind-the-scenes as she glammed up to see Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week, and her excitement was palpable. You know when you can practically hear someone smiling through the phone, their voice bends so much into a smile? Emma brought that, tenfold, before she even stepped foot into the show venue.
“I just love Ralph Lauren’s show—I don’t even want to call them shows, because they’re events in and of themselves,” Emma explained. “It’s never just a show because they do everything down to, like, the table-scapes. Even the napkins are Ralph Lauren. The food is from their restaurant, and the clothing is always so fresh but also lived in. I never feel nervous going to a Ralph Lauren event because it feels like family. The Laurens are always there, always familiar faces, and they make sure to have an intimate dinner after which I think is so special.”
For the occasion, Emma worked with her stylists Brit and Kara Elkin on a RL-approved look, ultimately choosing The RL 888 bag and an emerald, flowy Ralph Lauren dress with a Western-inspired belt, marrying aesthetics in a color scheme perfect for autumn.
“I just have so many memories of Ralph Lauren,” Emma told Cosmo. “And it could be something as simple as my first classic Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater; I felt so cool wearing it. I think of Ralph Lauren Collection, my first dress from them, and how elegant and feminine I felt in it. I love all of the memories, and I just love that they combine this Western Americana with elegance. They do it so beautifully.”
Bridget Brager and Benjamin Puckey handled Emma’s hair and makeup, keeping it natural and glowy with slicked back hair and Clé de Peau Beauté products; A fitting choice for the show itself, which featured pure glamour.
“Ralph Lauren did not disappoint with his return to NYFW. The collection paired the brand’s quintessential western inspired details with the ease of 1970’s silhouettes. Christy Turlington closed the show in a liquid metallic gown,” said Cassie Anderson, Cosmopolitan’s fashion director. “After the models walked, the doors opened into a chandelier lined, rustic wood dining space. It was like entering into Ralph Lauren’s world—it was breathtaking.”
For Emma, kicking off New York Fashion Week this September was certainly a joy, but not necessarily her end-all, be-all favorite style season. “I feel like when fall comes, I’m always ready. But then when summer comes, I’m also ready. I can’t pick a favorite season. I mean, that would just be rude to all of my fashion children,” Emma joked.
The seasonality of it all sounds secondary to her buckets of appreciation—for Ralph Lauren, for the team around her, and also for the opportunity to be at New York Fashion Week period.
“The last few years, Fashion Week has just been so different than what it normally is. So I’m most excited for this Fashion Week,” Emma said. “My best friend and my stylist Brit flew out; I’m in New York; And I’m going to shows that I genuinely love and wear the clothes in my everyday life. I don’t feel like I have obligations. Everything is a fun choice.”
Speaking of fun choices: Before bidding Cosmo adieu and dipping into Ralph Lauren, Emma offered some parting words of fashion wisdom: “Whenever I’m trying to up my confidence and do it effortlessly, I throw on a pair of hoops. Hoops immediately make me feel confident.”
A chic, simple tip befitting of a Ralph Lauren girl, don’t you think?
Watch Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2024 New York Fashion Week Runway Show Here
Deputy Editor
Alexandra Whittaker is the deputy editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, where she helps manage the website and all of Cosmo‘s news and entertainment coverage. With more than a decade of journalism experience, Alexandra oversees multiple teams of stellar writers and editors. She crafts thoughtful editorial coverage plans from start to finish by ideating, assigning, and editing timely, search, and brand-building stories with an eye on strategy, growth, and audience development. She is a mentor with Girls Write Now and the American Society of Magazine Editors, and she is a proud Northwestern and Marquette alumna.