Just in case someone needed reaffirmation for Ralph Lauren’s influence on fashion and beyond: The American designer just received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by Joe Biden at a White House ceremony, which makes Lauren the first fashion designer ever to do so. The highest civilian award in the U.S. also solidifies the 85-year old as an enduring icon, underlining decades of shaping American identity while making his eponymous brand synonymous with Americana:
Not only has his mix of East Coast prep, Western ruggedness, and timeless sophistication always stayed relevant – he also bridged the worlds of luxury and streetwear (before it was even called that) and continues to do so. Here’s to five examples that illustrate how Polo pieces and their horses, chiefs, and ski riders became cultural artifacts and symbols of aspiration.
Top Gear, Literally
Aside from memorable designs and motifs, Ralph Lauren is synonymous with high quality and durability. The proof of this literally peaked in Ed Viesturs’ first solo trip on Mount Everest: The American mountaineer was paid $10,000 from Ralph Lauren to wear the brand’s new expedition apparel on his solo summit in 1993 – a red and black down suit with matching functional clothing underneath. To quote Viesturs himself: “I was the best-dressed climber on Everest, ever.”
Viesturs also helped with the design of the brand’s first ever snowsuit, as well as with other pieces in the new Polo Sport line with which the label positioned itself more broadly in the early 1990s. The focus wasn’t just on polo (the sport) anymore, but on other sports as well – including snowboarding, which was to lead to one of the most sought-after Polo garments ever. But more on that in a bit.
When Pink Polos Didn’t Exactly Hurt the Roc
Could it be that a penchant for Ralph Lauren was admission criteria for joining Rocafella Records as a producer? Most likely not. But it’s noteworthy that both Just Blaze – a passionate collector of all things Ralph Lauren – and a certain Mr. West are well-documented admirers of the brand.
In addition to Kanye’s outfits in the ‘College Dropout’ album booklet (along with countless other outfits) and rap lyrics mentioning the brand, his meme-worthy interview with Sway must be mentioned here: “It ain’t Ralph, tho” left no doubt which brand is Ye’s benchmark for quality and status.
Nikes On His Feet, Polo On His Chest
In hindsight, it seems almost a paradox how Mac Miller’s breakthrough sound in the early 2010s brought a breath of fresh air with an aesthetic that referenced 90s boom bap – a sound that wasn’t getting any mainstream attention anymore until that point. The Pittsburgh rapper’s clothing style matched his retro-inspired sound: snapback caps, retro sneakers, flannels, and lots of vintage Ralph Lauren. Just like his music, the pieces weren’t random though, but very deliberate: Mac clearly knew his Polo.
Grand (Puba’s) Opening
Grand Puba rocking the ‘Alpine’ Rugby (and ‘P-Wing’ socks) at Yo! MTV Raps in 1993, while performing ‘What’s The 411’ with Mary J. Blige? Speak about an iconic moment of streetwear and hip hop culture here: Not only was the rapper’s outfit loud in the best sense of the word already – on top of that, the Brand Nubian member also changed his original lyric “Tommy Hilfiger top gear” to “Polo the top gear” during the live performance. Saying that this boosted the popularity of the Alpine rugby is an understatement.
“Same Damn ‘Lo Sweater”
The story of how Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan immortalized the Ralph Lauren ‘Snow Beach’ jacket in 1994 when he wore it in the Clan’s ‘Can It Be All So Simple’ music video has been told a million times. And rightfully so: The yellow, red, and navy pullover jacket has long become a symbol of streetwear culture, blending high-fashion sensibilities with hip hop authenticity.
It overshadows the fact though that the Clan’s love for the brand goes deep in general, which was visible through their very own Wu Wear brand, whose apparel more than once seemed influenced by Ralph Lauren’s all-american style, but also through countless other examples of Wu members wearing Polo: Take for example ODB wearing a customised Polo Ralph Lauren ‘Gatsby’ Shirt here, altered to a one-of vest in 1994.
In case of need, BSTN has got you covered with everything from essentials to the latest collection by Polo Ralph Lauren:
