In terms of creating classic, signature designs with serious longevity, Ralph Lauren pretty much wrote the book. His fall ’11 runway collection was chock full of traditional tailoring, beautifully draped evening gowns, fur shrugs and modern twists, such as this fresh take on a tuxedo. Shots of red added radiant energy to the mostly black-and-white color palette, with scarlet lips and jewelry drawing out the red highlights in the footwear collection. Black platform sandals with ankle straps were given a pop of red satin on the crisscross toe straps. Though downplayed, these smart sandals worked beautifully with everything from menswear-inspired suiting to cocktail pencil dresses to silk evening gowns.
