The Ralph Lauren look calls to mind worn-in double denim and cozy cable knits. But these deep Americana roots are just one element of the brand's heritage. Ralph Lauren has always drawn from a broad swathe of American influences, and over the past few years, it has sought to forge creative partnerships with the communities and artisans who have inspired its designs from the beginning. The latest is a collection created in partnership with the house’s first Artist in Residence, seventh-generation Diné textile artist and weaver Naiomi Glasses.
Last Friday, CULTURED and Ralph Lauren invited friends and tastemakers to the brand’s Aspen outpost to celebrate the launch of the high-profile collaboration. Guests—including Nacho Figueras, Delfina Blaquier, Jamie Tisch, designer Bethany Williams, architect Chad Oppenheim and creative director Ilona Oppenheim, St. Regis Aspen owner Sabrina De Baets, model Elle Amatullah, editor Sari Tuschman, Sotheby's Vice President of Sales Christine Heller, collector Erin Leider-Pariser, collector Liza Mauck, salt + snow founder Sara Zilkha, and Navajo Nation vice president Richelle Montoya—arrived outfitted in fringed and woven outerwear perfect for the mountain town.
The collection—which will be released as three limited-edition, seasonal drops through 2024—debuts with a 32-piece line inspired by Glasses’s Navajo Nation upbringing. For the collaboration, Glasses worked alongside the house's team to reimagine classic and updated Ralph Lauren silhouettes with Glasses's woven patterns, and through the lens of her personal style. New interpretations of traditional Navajo symbols, like spider woman crosses and four-directional crosses, are interspersed throughout designs including ranch coats, thicket jackets, and the iconic polo shirt.
Having learned traditional weaving from her grandmother, the artist, now 26, launched an online custom textile business at the tender age of 18. “To now be able to share [Navajo weaving] with people around the world, as seen through my eyes and brought to life in clothing, is a dream come true,” Glasses said in a statement. “It is only through the power of collaboration and Ralph Lauren’s unique program that this collection was made possible, and the best part is that it brings traditional Navajo weaving to a new generation.”
An avid collector of turquoise and silver jewelry, Glasses also brought together a selection of items from from six artisan families throughout the Navajo Nation, Hopi Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, and Zuni Pueblo; the pieces on display in Aspen are incorporated into the campaign imagery and now available for purchase. The shoot was conducted by photographers Ryan RedCorn (Osage) and Daryn Sells (Navajo), with a short film series directed by award-winning filmmaker Shaandiin Tome (Navajo).
“Heritage and tradition are at the center of everything I love—things that encompass both beauty and utility, that are uncontrived and personal and are passed down for generations,” said Ralph Lauren of the collaboration. “Bringing the most authentic expression of heritage craft to life means working with those who have created and sustained these timeless traditions for centuries and sharing their stories with the world.”
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