Ralph Lauren Brought a Western-inspired Holiday Experience to West Hollywood

With year-round balmy weather and palms far outnumbering pines, the arrival of the holiday season can be tough to discern in Los Angeles. That is, until Ralph Lauren comes to town. On Friday evening, the heritage-steeped brand transformed a spacious West Hollywood parking lot into a Western-style winter wonderland, complete with freshly cut Christmas trees available for purchase, string lights galore, and all manner of plaid.

Kate Hudson, for one, was a fan. “When I walked in here, I was like, ‘This needs to be three blocks bigger next year.’ This is such a great idea, and there’s such good energy—look how happy everybody is,” the actress, currently in the midst of the press tour for her forthcoming music-filled film, Song Sung Blue, told Vogue. While marveling at the makeshift Ralph Lauren vintage shop tucked away down the back, the Colorado native reminisced about her childhood in Snowmass. “You’re looking at half of our closet,” Hudson, in a cream cable knit turtleneck and elegant silk skirt, laughed, pointing to the selection of archival holiday knitwear. “You could always find my dad wandering around Aspen in Ralph Lauren.”

Meanwhile, novelist Jenny Han, who set the internet abuzz this week with an update on the highly-anticipated The Summer I Turned Pretty movie—yes, the script has officially been written—was in full holiday mode too. Han was outfitted in a red plaid dress and a black velvet cropped jacket—the latter of which she’ll be rewearing for her own upcoming Little Women-themed holiday party. “I gave everyone a mood board of how to dress with pictures from the movie— people are buying bonnets,” she giggled.

Upon arrival, guests were met with trays of cocktails, from margaritas to ‘old pals.’ However, many took a sharp left, beelining for the beloved Ralph’s coffee truck, where espresso martinis were being whipped up. Servers dressed in denim—each looking as though they could have appeared on a billboard for the brand—made the rounds with The Polo Bar favorites like mini grilled cheeses, pigs in a blanket, and caviar-topped spuds.

A vintage pillar-box red pickup truck had been emblazoned with RL in white letters and parked alongside a snowy mountain mural, making for the perfect backdrop for festive family photos. Partygoers including Andra Day,​​ Phoebe Dynevor, and Elsa Hosk and her fiancé Tom Daly were among the first to pose in front of the rustic installation. Right beside the vehicle was a personalization station offering hand-painted designs by DTLAcustom on purchased denim jackets and shirts, eyewear cases, and holiday candles.

Keen to catch a performance by singer and musician Laufey, Han, Ali Wong, and The Bear’s Lionel Boyce all scored front row seats. Treating attendees to a mix of holiday fan-favorites and her own hits like The Start and Lover Girl, the Icelandic artist joked that her mouth was numb from just getting Invisalign. “Singing does cure it, though,” she quipped, eliciting laughter from the crowd. The breakthrough star was ethereal as she flitted between the standing mic and a nearby piano, and strummed on her guitar in a floor-sweeping gown.

Up-and-coming Hollywood face McKenna Grace of Ghostbusters: Afterlife fame was amongst those swaying back and forth during the show, taking it all in. “I honestly did not know how cute and Southern this was gonna be,” the Texan actress gushed, wearing a black leather Ralph Lauren jacket and matching pants. “I feel right at home.”

The Ralph Lauren Holiday Experience is open to the public Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 8495 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood.