Dive Brief:
- Ralph Lauren launched the Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs collection on Thursday, according to a press release.
- The collection features menswear, womenswear and home goods. The line was conceptualized and designed by Morehouse and Spelman alumni at Ralph Lauren as part of the company’s ongoing partnership with the two historically Black colleges, per the release.
- The full line is available in select Ralph Lauren retail stores, as well as through the brand’s website and app. In addition, the collection is sold at Morehouse College and Spelman College Follett campus bookstores.
Dive Insight:
Oak Bluffs, a town on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, has been a historically Black community for more than a century. The Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs collection was inspired by residents’ style and is part of Ralph Lauren’s Design with Intent initiative, which is meant to celebrate the heritage of American life.
“This collection is about more than a charming coastal town; it’s a story of the American dream,” Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation, said in the release. “Oak Bluffs’ unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire me and speak to what we are all searching for — a place where you can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home.”
Pieces in the collection include a twill jacket featuring novelty embroidery, ball caps with nautical imagery, and nautical themes throughout. The line includes sweaters, shirts, outerwear and fleece, as well as totes, mugs and a patchwork quilt. Prices range from $35 for the Oak Bluffs mug to $1,295 for the quilt. The collection is designed to blend “classic coastal leisurewear” with “off-campus collegiate style through the lens of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges,” per the release.
The collection also introduces new menswear and womenswear pieces as part of the ongoing collaboration with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, such as a satin Morehouse varsity jacket and a patchwork cardigan featuring Spelman’s Jaguar mascot.
The launch is accompanied by a campaign created in partnership with author, director and producer Cole Brown, who spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard and used his experiences to inform this project, per the release. Campaign imagery was photographed by Nadine Ijewere, and video footage was shot by Azariah Bjørvig, both of whom previously worked on the 2022 campaign that accompanied the launch of the Morehouse and Spelman Colleges campaign.
In addition, the campaign features a short documentary “blending scenic campaign footage with rare archival imagery,” including stories of life on the island from seasonal visitors, year-round residents, multigenerational homeowners, local business owners, community historians and faculty, students and alumni from Morehouse and Spelman, per the release.
A full-length documentary titled “A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs,” premiered on Thursday. On Aug. 8, there will be a special screening alongside a panel discussion on “the power of narrative change in racial healing” at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
