Polo Ralph Lauren: A portrait of the American Dream

Cricket sweaters, patchwork blanket and distressed baseball caps. Each is part of the new collection called Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, celebrating the historically Black community of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. The collection is an evolution of the 2022 collection based on Historically Black Colleges Morehouse and Spelman, who are again partners in the Oak Bluffs collection, and is a part of the company's "Design with Intent" portfolio. "Ralph Lauren as a man, as a brand is sort of the world ambassador to Americana," James Jeter, Creative Director, Concept Design & Brand Direction for Polo Men’s at Ralph Lauren told USA TODAY. "With that comes this incredible responsibility for us to tell these incredible American stories as fully, as broadly, as accurately as possible." The collection deftly weaves HBCU campus style drawn from Morehouse and Spelman with resort wear that references the historic Black beach town and Black traditions. It was just very important to tell that story, the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional experience that is the Black experience that also translates into the American experience. It is accompanied by a documentary on the community directed by Cole Brown titled "A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs" that debuted on the brand's YouTube page on July 24.