HBO threw down big bucks on the premiere of its Ralph Lauren documentary, “Very Ralph,” at the Met — even spending more than $40,000 a pop on nine giant floral arrangements. But the hefty price tag and glitzy reception at the Temple of Dendur wasn’t enough to win over everyone.
After sitting through what some considered an endless, aimless and indulgent homage to the famed designer, many guests at the after-party were left longing for the return of longtime documentaries chief Sheila Nevins.
“I just watched a two-hour ad for Ralph Lauren,” privately huffed a guest. “That would’ve never have happened under Sheila.”
Nevins, who retired in the spring, was one of many veteran HBO staffers who left this year amid major shakeups at the company, including its purchase by AT&T.
Another group was overheard talking about “the new guard at HBO.” One fashion editor even squeezed in a nap during the screening, we’re told.
The doc chronicles Lauren’s life, from growing up in The Bronx to building and creating his fashion empire, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. “Very Ralph” features interviews with fashion elites including Anna Wintour, Robin Givhan, Naomi Campbell, Donna Karan and the late Karl Lagerfeld.
At the bash to pay homage were Bruce Springsteen, Martha Stewart, June Ambrose, Ubah Hassan, Tory Burch, Vera Wang, Huma Abedin and many others.
Wang told us about first meeting Lauren when she went for a job interview at 36 years old. “I was worried I wasn’t going to get the job,” she said. “I was nervous that he wouldn’t think I was talented enough to work there.” But she landed the gig and “it was a very happy place for me to work.”
Stewart, who appears in the film, summed up Lauren’s legacy by telling us, “He had this idea of glamorizing Americana in the most fabulous way, and he did it.”
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