Ralph Lauren Womenswear SS13

If you Google "Conquistador," you'll come up with the following options: the Wikipedia article on Spanish explorers who colonised the Americas; A Waldorf Astoria resort by the same name; a magazine about the world of Spanish horses and a Hilton Hotels golf course in Arizona. All of these seem fitting for Ralph Lauren's Spanish Rose collection: exploration, vacation, horse riding and leisure sporting. Models wore either berets or Cordobes hats and layers of beaded jewellery over ruffled blouses and black tuxedo trousers, Saltillo print knits and flowing black dresses. Clutches in the shapes of fans were waved back and forth in front of cropped and filigreed jackets as if to invite visions of Flamenco dancers or Spanish bullfighters. The gowns underneath were exquisite and simple, Ralph Lauren's trademark American chic, which stand as a testament to the fact that styling really can take you anywhere you want it to.