Ralph Lauren launches fall line

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Ralph Lauren Home is introducing three disparate, but familiarly themed, collections for fall.

One, using the theme "modern thoroughbred," centers on classic menswear looks but adds splashes of color — reds, plums, and olives — to the traditional neutral palette.

Fabrics are influenced by the designer's fall men's collection and feature Harris tweeds, blanket plaids, paisley, suede and nubuck for both bedding, decorative fabrics and upholstered furniture covers.

In sheets, an orchid stripe and a paisley create the color news set against a gunmetal steel bed.

Accessories include an alligator covered pillow, wool paisley fabrics and faux crocodile place mats with heavy hemstitched linen napkins.

A collection, tentatively named Bowery, reflects influences of 19th century England, 1800's stitchery and fabric, and men's vintage fabrics.

Crazyquilt designs from the 1800's with hand embroidery are a significant feature used both as covers for decorative pillows and as bed coverings.

In sheets, men's vintage shirt stripes are embellished with feminine accents including lace and ruffles. Silk piano shawls resembling vintage models are used as accessories as well as bugle beads embellishing a pillow inspired by a man's dinner jacket.

Palatial Fern, an exuberant fabric, is one of several new fabric statements in the third collection, which includes a chintzed cotton from the Archive Florals collection used as wall coverings, bed coverings and accessories.

Silk is used throughout, with a silk satin used on a tufted upholstered bed. The silk is one of a new book collection of silk fabrics called Silk Satin and Duchesse Satin.

Other fabric news include a herringbone/rib weave stripe, silk, lace and mohair in pillows and throws, a jacquard used as a drapery over the bed, walls, curtains and pillows.

Additional fabric highlights are a hand embroidered lace curtain used as a tablecloth, and a highly distressed linen velvet.

All sheets in the new Home collections are cottons, with 400 thread counts and above.

The three collections will be sold primarily in the company's Polo stores and select retailers.