THE JOURNAL
Polo Ralph Lauren And Ms Naiomi Glasses Celebrate Rodeo Culture And Navajo Weaving Traditions
Mr Ralph Lauren is many things. A salesman. A visionary. We’ve talked before about his incredible knack for storytelling, and how his clothes seem to instantly transport us like readers of a book. For close to six decades, the designer has weaved narratives about home into his work, celebrating American land, culture and art through his many, many brands (that’s the salesman in him). Lauren’s designs have been so successful that they have been become synonymous with the US itself.
But Lauren understands his isn’t the only story to tell. He has always been open to change, ready to turn the page, if you will. And it is this kind of evolved thinking that informs the designer’s latest chapter – a series of partnerships with fellow crafts people, as part of the Ralph Lauren Artist In Residence programme. In doing so, Lauren is mindful that his is not the only story, and is working with others to share theirs.
For the first collaboration of its kind, Lauren has teamed up with Ms Naiomi Glasses, a seventh-generation Diné (Navajo) textile artist and designer, whose work tells a story about craft, community and her Indigenous culture. Her journey began in childhood when in Dinétah (Navajo Nation), she and her brother learnt traditional weaving from their grandmother on her farm.
The siblings started with scraps, gathering the unused spun wool from the farm’s sheep to create some of their first designs. By 18, Glasses, showing some of the same spirit of enterprise as Lauren in his youth, launched her online textile business, with her weavings representing an enduring celebration of Navajo patterns and craft – and a fresh take on them.
Ms Naiomi Glasses
Now, at 27 and 84 respectively, Glasses and Lauren have joined forces in this first of what Ralph Lauren promises will be many partnerships from its collaborative programme. And the results are refreshing, like opening a new chapter and seeing the world from a whole new perspective.
They are also imminently wearable. The third drop in the Polo Ralph Lauren x Naiomi Glasses collaboration, now available on MR PORTER, is a case in point.
“Preserving Navajo traditions in new ways has been so inspiring to me as an artist”
They are also imminently wearable. The third drop in the Polo Ralph Lauren x Naiomi Glasses collaboration, now available on MR PORTER, is a case in point.
Here, Glasses pays homage to one of the loves of her life: rodeo culture. Deep-blue denims and indigo hues unite in styles reminiscent of Navajo rodeo contestants and colours that evoke Dinétah skies. And if dramatic spectacle is for you, a sweeping ranch coat awaits. These, like each piece in the collaboration, have their own story to tell – the coats are made according to centuries-old weaving traditions, decorated with traditional motifs that hold deep meaning in Navajo heritage.
It is meaning that Glasses also finds in the wider Ralph Lauren partnership. “Navajo weaving is a craft that has carried on through my family for seven generations, and preserving these traditions in new ways has been so inspiring to me as an artist,” she says. “To now be able to share it with people around the world, as seen through my eyes and brought to life in clothing, is a dream come true. 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.”
And for Lauren? It’s important to him that this is a partnership, which strives to find new ways to share and preserve histories. “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,” he says.