Los Angeles got an extra dose of fashion glamour courtesy of Ralph Lauren, who arrived on the West Coast to present his latest collection in front of a star-studded audience. Among the attendees was Ari Fournier, the IMG model who has been making waves in the fashion industry.

Before attending the event, we had the chance to talk all things fashion and style and her charity organization Fashion 4 Humanity.

Tell us about your look for tonight’s show.

I’m in love with my outfit tonight. I’m wearing a beautiful black lace corset top with a gray blazer and black striped suit pant that made me feel powerful. I like mixing masculine and feminine wear into my personal style. It was the first outfit I had tried on at the Ralph fitting, and I knew right away that it was a perfect fit for my tastes.

What do you love about Ralph Lauren as a designer and why are you excited to attend tonight? 

Ralph Lauren is a timeless brand that I recognize myself in. I grew up as an equestrian wearing Ralph Lauren as I was riding at home and even while at competitions. The brand’s iconography, to me, feels like a combination of both my main passions: horseback riding and fashion.

How would you describe your personal style? 

I travel a lot for work, so I try to have a couple staple pieces that I keep all year round. That said, I love to experiment with statement accessories and shoes. I try to keep my closet as sustainable as possible, so I like mixing vintage pieces with newer, more high-end options. For me, it’s all about having one statement and letting the rest of the outfit be effortless. Trends move so fast in this era of fashion, so I try to establish and stick to my personal identity rather than leaning into every one.

Tell us about your relationship with fashion. Is this something you’ve always been excited about growing up?

I’ve always had a passion for the self-expression that comes with fashion. My mom used to model in the 80s and kept a really elaborate closet with her favorite archival pieces. I used to play dress up with her when I was a child, trying on her most experimental pieces and thinking, “one day I will grow up and I will be able to dress up like her!” I get to take that same inner child to work with me, so I feel very grateful for what I do.

Tell us about your organization Fashion 4 Humanity. 

Fashion 4 Humanity is something that started as an idea at dinner with my best friend.  We were both reading the devastating news about the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and we wanted to find a means to help in a practical and financial way outside of social media. We decided to take to our respective closets that day, to try to raise money through selling pieces that belonged to us and anyone else who was interested in helping. With trends moving exponentially fast within the current fashion industry, and so many beautiful pieces of clothes ending up lost between your closet and your resale app, reselling the pieces for a good cause made much more sense to us. We started reaching out to other models, stylists, actors, and designers we knew, and within a couple days we were able to curate a great selection. A week later, we had our first event at the Melrose Flea Market. The event went very well, with more positive attention, donations, and assistance than our two -person team anticipated, or could, frankly, keep up with. The next day we were able to send emergency funds to Ukraine, and the tangible and realized success of that sale inspired us even further. Now, our goal is to grow our organization in funding and staffing, and to be able to financially assist multiple causes through consistent events/pop-ups throughout the year.

What was your favorite part of the show? 

I just loved seeing Shalom Harlow walk the show. Her look was the perfect representation of the Ralph Lauren woman and her energy was lighting up the room. She’s an icon!

Makeup: Kendal Fendail | The Wall Group @kendaldefail

Hair: Mashal Afzalzada | The Wall Group @mashyourhair

Photographer: Elysée Sanville

Model: Ari Fournier | IMG Models