Ralph Lauren’s Passion for Cars Inspires Sleek New Furniture

Old Hollywood movies, blue-and-white porcelain, Navajo rugs, Georgian antiques—Ralph Lauren’s interests are as wide-ranging as they are refined. But nothing gets his engine revving quite like cars. For the past five decades, the American fashion legend has amassed a trove of some of the world’s most coveted vehicles, among them 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing and 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic coupes. “I have always loved machines that are the product of someone taking their passion for building and using it to create beauty,” he tells AD, reflecting on the functional that forms a philosophical through line, one model to the next. “The purposefulness with which the cars I own were created—the engine, the mechanics—the whole spirit is exciting.”

That passion has now greased the gears of Ralph Lauren Home’s new Modern Driver collection. Unveiled at the brand’s Milan palazzo during Salone del Mobile this past April, the array foregrounds materials, motifs, and construction methods rooted in automotive excellence. Whereas the Ellis bed, for instance, evokes classic car interiors with its channeled leather headboard, an update to the Beckford table lamp features wire mesh reminiscent of the grille on Mr. Lauren’s own 1929 Blower Bentley. And the Turner nesting tables pair louvered mahogany with nailhead trim reminiscent of old-school upholstery and travel trunks. “The lines, curves, vents, and fittings all serve a purpose,” he says of automotive design. “Their upholstery, ornamentation, and shapes have always intrigued me.”

Model Mercedes-Benz Gullwing Coupe

$1,995

Ralph Lauren

Astor Salad Plate

$150

Ralph Lauren

All the while, handsome woods and metals conjure vintage dashboards. So too does the Astor plate, with its retro speedometer motif. And the Hewitt dinnerware service nods to engines with a diamond-cut pattern. Consider it all Mr. Lauren’s paean to the road. “Driving has always been something that I’ve loved,” he reflects. “There’s something about driving in the open air, seeing the trees and countryside go by. I feel the power and spirit of the car, and my mind is totally focused on that experience—nothing else.”

Design lovers will recognize the RL-CF1 lounge chair, a feat of engineering—first introduced in 2003—that riffs on Mr. Lauren’s beloved McLaren F1. To create each seat requires 71 layers of carbon fiber tissue, a technique that yields a super-light yet ultra-durable frame. That icon is now joined by the reintroduced dining version as well as complementary carbon fiber side tables, both round and square, with rosewood shelves.

During a cocktail party at the Ralph Lauren palazzo, on the occasion of Milan Design Week, a who’s who of the design world could be found toasting the collection, among them AD100 luminaries Sheila Bridges, Giancarlo Valle, Brian Sawyer, David Netto, and Joy Moyler. And there was more to celebrate: Modern Driver marks the debut collaboration between Ralph Lauren and Haworth Lifestyle Design, a manufacturer specializing in furniture made-to-order in Italy.

From the pigs in a blanket and the margaritas to the Jaguar XK120 roadster parked out front, every last festive detail was quintessentially Ralph Lauren. “Beautiful design never looks dated,” he notes. “That’s been my guiding principle for the way I have collected automobiles, and it has also guided my design sensibility. I design for longevity.” ralphlauren.com