Gliding through a kitsch art deco-themed “Ralph’s Club,” the likes of Gigi and Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, Taylor Hill and Adut Akech brought old Hollywood glitz to life on Saturday.

Described by the fashion house as ”an ode to elegance and glamour” gowns of expertly draped satin and impossibly shimmering sequins shone in hues of scarlet red, sunrise yellow and cerulean blue at the site of a former bank on Wall Street. 

Yet, as gasp-worthy as the dresses were, it was the tuxedo that proved to be the real star of the show.

Lauren’s many imaginings of the classic dinner suit included a halterneck jumpsuit, a huge fluffy yellow collared jacket, a delicate white tuxedo shirt with organza sleeves and pinstripe embellished with subtle crystals for an evening feel.

An arresting crimson silk jacket was modelled by Hill, while Gigi Hadid wowed in a classic tailored dinner suit with a shimmering herringbone topcoat worn over her shoulders.

“I’ve always loved the way a woman looks in a tuxedo, from my first women’s collection until now,” the veteran designer said. 

Writing on Instagram, he described the dinner suit as “a powerful statement of modern elegance.”

The duality of traditionally masculine and feminine styles wasn’t split definitively through the collection, with some outfits blending elements of both suiting and ballgowns. 

Janelle Monáe, who treated the fashion crowd to a high energy performance, perhaps best exemplified this with her tuxedo dress and tailored jacket, complete with neat bowtie and wide satin cummerbund. 

Lauren’s wife Ricky, a longtime champion of her husband’s tailored tuxedos, showed up in her signature white tie suit, while Cate Blanchett, another famous fan of the formal look, wore a custom wide-length jumpsuit tux for the presentation. 

“Tonight is an ode to Ralph’s love of the tux and I absolutely love it too,” Blanchett told The Telegraph. “It’s my go-to outfit, I get a few eye-rolls from my friends sometimes because I will always, always go for a suit if I can”. 

There’ll be no eye-rolls here, Cate. Ralph Lauren has convinced us it’s time to embrace the dapper dinner suit for ourselves.

Images: Getty