“Incredible!” “Finally!” “Cannot wait to get the Spelman sweater”; “Thank God!!!” were but a few of the many comments shared on social media as news emerged, last Tuesday, of the Ralph Lauren Morehouse and Spelman College Collection. SO got in on the act too, requesting images and quotes to share with its readers on the historic collab. The iconic designer is, after all, no stranger to Jamaica.

The Washington Post was given the exclusive and the world of fashion waited with bated breath for the award-winning senior critic-at-large Robin Givhan to press ‘Send’. Her story was, as always, edifying and akin to a Baptist church service… soaring!

“Ralph Lauren revises his vision of the American Dream, inspired by the style of HBCUs” was the artfully crafted headline for a story that would form part of fashion’s historic archives. “It’s not a new story. It’s a more complicated, more nuanced version of an old one. So ultimately, it’s a better story,” reads the article. It’s no frou-frou. “The clothes in this licensing agreement with the two schools,” Givhan informs, “were mostly photographed on students, graduates and faculty against the backdrop of the two campuses, which neighbour each other in Atlanta.”

The collection from Lauren, who, according to Givhan, has been writing a tale about what it means to be American, has made “a significant edit. It isn’t so much a correction as it is a clarification”.

The article also reveals that “Lauren has shifted his gaze to take in a new vista that has been there all along but one that he didn’t see. Until, one day in 2020, he suddenly did.” The revelation would come during a virtual conversation with the company’s 23,000 employees that was intended to be open and honest. A question posed by Lauren to James M Jeter, director of concept design and special projects at Ralph Lauren and Morehouse College, Class of 2013, would become the catalyst for change.

Jeter’s response to the question “How are you doing?” was, “Great. But you know, I’m not sure that this is going to be my future.” Pushed further by Lauren, Jeter added, “Is this a company that is going to be all white?… What’s the story with this company?”

It’s a question that was being asked globally of many a fashion and corporate entity. Jeter took it upon himself to educate the executive chairman and chief creative officer of the Ralph Lauren Corporation about the history of his alma mater, Morehouse College. He shared books, visuals: “My hope in designing this collection was to tap into an uncompromised expression of the beauty encompassed within the rich history of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. I wanted to share with the world the things that I had seen and the places that I had been,” shared Jeter.

Lauren, according to The Washington Post, loved what was presented and remarked, “This is beautiful. I love it.” He would later admit “there was something missing” from the company’s point of view… “we’re catching up with the [country’s] changes. And I want to be part of that change. I believe in it, and I believe in it for our company,” he said.

The proof of the pudding is always in the eating and in Lauren’s case, the unveiling of a limited-edition: The Polo Ralph Lauren Exclusively for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges Collection. A collection that seeks to honour the history of both schools and widen the aperture of Ralph Lauren’s storytelling, including the nature of life at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), a story untold in depictions of Ralph Lauren’s collegiate sensibilities until today.

“This collection expresses the spirited history, deep sense of community and legacy of timeless dressing at historically black colleges and universities,” said Lauren. “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 also marks the first time the brand has produced a campaign with an all-black cast including its photographer, creative directors, cinematographer and talent. The campaign was shot by internationally acclaimed fashion photographer Nadine Ijewere.­

The collection will be available to global consumers on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, on RalphLauren.com, the Polo app, the Ralph Lauren app, Morehouse College and Spelman College Follett campus bookstores and in select Ralph Lauren stores while quantities last.

Excerpts from The Washington Post story by Senior Critic-at-Large Robin Givhan — “Ralph Lauren revises his vision of the American Dream, inspired by the style of HBCUs.”

His new collaboration with Morehouse and Spelman recognises the fashion history of black students.

Additional information courtesy of Ralph Lauren communications.