Out East at
The Reform Club
An artistically influenced property in Amagansett, New York, where Polo’s spring collection came to life
On the East End of Long Island, just past East Hampton but before the outer edges of Montauk, you’ll find the sweeping lawns and sandy roads of Amagansett.
Ralph Lauren is no stranger to the area. Drawn to its more easygoing and artistic elements, the Hamptons has been his summertime backyard for decades. So, that’s exactly where he staged the photo shoot for his latest spring collection—and the grounds of The Reform Club, with its green lawns and white fences reminiscent of a polo field, were the perfect match.
Once the photo shoot wrapped, we spoke with Chase Lerner, one of the proprietors of the family-run destination, to learn more about the area and the hotel.
Aside from just being a hotel, what is The Reform Club, exactly?
The name is based on a members’ club in London, for artists and cultural contributors. Amagansett and the surrounding area has always been a hot spot for artists—Pollock, de Kooning, Warhol—so we wanted to reflect that. Each room has different pieces that we’ve collected over the years, and that’s really why The Reform Club was created: as a kind of home for artists and creative minds.
So it’s not literally a club, but it takes after a certain tradition of artistic and cultural connection. Not so much a private, exclusionary kind of thing.
Right. We have a different idea of what a club should feel like and want to be more inclusive than we are exclusive. We try to offer ways for everyone in the community—even if you aren’t staying with us—to come and get involved in activities during the summer. We just had a toy drive, and so many members of the community came and participated. That’s something we do regularly with different organizations, and I think that’s something very specific to the Hamptons. You have so many people coming in and out that the community feels very strongly that it should give back to one another.
You mentioned the hotel is relatively new, but it all kind of feels like it’s been there forever. All the buildings seem very traditional and comfortable and natural. How did you manage that?
We wanted to include people in the design process that were born and raised in Montauk, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, all the local places. So, that’s very much on purpose. I think that all the buildings speak to the idea of East End beach houses but make it feel kind of a little bit more refined than normal. And not like a hotel room.
When you think about Southampton or East Hampton or Montauk, a lot of it has become more commercialized over the years. Whereas Amagansett feels smaller and more curated and less commercialized. I think that really speaks to what The Reform Club really is, and how it feels.
What’s your own history with Amagansett?
My dad started coming out to Long Island when he was in college and fell in love with the East End. More than 25 years ago he transitioned to living in Amagansett full-time. He loves to farm; it’s almost that time of the year where you will always see him on a tractor cultivating the soil in preparation for new plantings.
When you have been in the city for so long, it is hard to imagine moving to an area full-time where it is so much quieter and more remote. But being out here is an amazing experience and it has so much more to offer than what meets the eye. There is way more to the Hamptons than just the summer.
- © Ralph Lauren Corporation
- Courtesy of The Reform Club
