Source: Screenshot/Polo Ralph Lauren / RalphLauren.com
Ralph Lauren is giving his spring collection a new look in efforts to re-imagine the American Dream as he draws from a different muse. Stepping away from their typical whitewashed look, Lauren is honoring the heritage of two historically Black colleges with a new capsule collection for the first time. Ralph Lauren has partnered with Spelman College and Morehouse College for a new limited edition collection, the Polo Ralph Lauren Exclusively for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges Collection.
“This collection expresses the spirited history, deep sense of community, and legacy of timeless dressing at historically Black colleges and universities,” Lauren said in a statement. “It’s so much more than a portrayal of a collegiate design sensibility. It’s about sharing a more complete and authentic portrait of American style and of the American dream—ensuring stories of Black life and experiences are embedded in the inspiration and aspiration of our brand.”
The collection, which will be released March 29, stayed true to Polo’s signature look with knitted sweaters, blazers, suits, argyle socks, jackets and other ivy style wear.
“Spelman College’s culture is a powerful combination of both community engagement and confident self-invention. This collection celebrates the inventiveness of individual style, when it intersects boldly with institutional tradition, such as the choices on display in the wearing of white attire,” president of Spelman College Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. said. “By sharing the early history of Spelman, as reflected in archival research, through clothing, the collection encourages conversations about the creative power of the Black experience and the ways in which a personal fashion aesthetic intersects with institutional values of solidarity and connection.”
Through The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation and the United Negro College Fun, he also committed to pledge $2 million for scholarships for students at 12 historically Black colleges and universities over a five-year period.
