Fashion designer Ralph Lauren first created furniture for his own home when he could not find suitable pieces that complemented his streamlined, classic and cosmopolitan aesthetic. This year, Ralph Lauren Home presents the Modern Driver Collection, inspired by the designer’s long-time appreciation for automobiles.
The designer’s own automobile collection is one of the most exquisite ever assembled, and includes models like the 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe and the 1929 Blower Bentley. Modern Driver pays homage to their style and elegance with furniture that employ burl and mahogany wood, polished stainless steel, and carbon fibre paired with louvred mahogany and channelled leather details.
There are pieces such as the RL-CF1 chair, inspired by Lauren’s own McLaren F1 Race Car made from the same high-tech fibre used on Formula 1 race cars. It has 71 layers of tissue carbon laid by hand into a cantilevered frame whose image is lightweight yet incredibly strong. Likewise, the Beckford Table Lamp, with its tightly wrapped metal wire mesh, is reminiscent of the grilles of Lauren’s 1929 Blower Bentley.
The diversity of the range extends to decorative accessories and entertaining pieces, as well as bedding. Take your pick of speedometer-inspired plates from the Carbon Fiber dinnerware collection and even an extravagant Mahjong Set with hand-painted leather tiles encased in a black leather-and-polished stainless-steel case.
