Maritime stripes, varsity satin, porch socials at dusk. For its latest limited-edition capsule, Ralph Lauren steps off campus and onto the coast, anchoring its vision of American style in Oak Bluffs — a historic Black enclave on Martha’s Vineyard where community, culture, and summer ritual collide.
The Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs collection continues the brand’s exploration of heritage and identity, following in the footsteps of its 2022 capsule with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. Where that collaboration spotlighted the sartorial codes of historically Black colleges and universities, this one looks beyond the campus to the coast — to a town where Black culture, community, and summer tradition have flourished for over a century.
Tucked into the northeastern edge of Martha’s Vineyard, Oak Bluffs has long been a haven for Black families, HBCU alumni, artists, and entrepreneurs. It’s a place where leisure and legacy meet: where gingham porches, beachfront cookouts and Fourth of July parades form a backdrop for intergenerational pride. Ralph Lauren’s capsule honours that world with collegiate silhouettes, maritime motifs and subtle nods to island landmarks — including a capsule co-created with Morehouse and Spelman, whose alumni have long gathered in Oak Bluffs during the summer months.
“Oak Bluffs’ unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire me and speak to what we are all searching for – a place where you can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home,” says Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation.
The collection mixes crisp nautical tailoring with collegiate signatures, featuring sailing jackets, sun-faded crewnecks, embroidered knits, and heritage-inspired accessories. Standout pieces include a maroon-and-white satin varsity jacket embroidered with Morehouse’s Maroon Tiger and a baby-blue cardigan showcasing Spelman’s beloved Jaguar mascot. A quilted patchwork jacket and matching blanket stitch together motifs that honour both the island and the institutions that return each summer to fill it with life.
Bringing this story to life is A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs, a documentary short which will premiere at the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Directed by Cole Brown with photography by Nadine Ijewere and film by Azariah Bjørvig — the same team behind the acclaimed 2022 HBCU campaign — the film features stories from longtime residents, alumni, local historians, and entrepreneurs. Brown captures the textures of the island and the stories behind them, drawing from his own summers spent there.
The brand also partnered with The Cottagers, Inc. — a nonprofit of Black women homeowners — to support preservation efforts on the island, alongside historical collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and other cultural institutions.
The capsule is part of Ralph Lauren’s broader Design with Intent initiative: a commitment to authentically representing the cultures and communities that shape its aesthetic language. As the brand puts it, this collection “reflects the many facets of life that are inspirational and aspirational to our brand” — moving away from monolithic portrayals of prep, and towards a richer, more inclusive narrative of American style.
Ralph Lauren has long been synonymous with Ivy League fantasy. But with Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, it asks what happens when you widen the lens. Who else belongs in the picture of the American dream? The answer — if this collaboration is any indication — has been there all along, just waiting for the right moment to be seen.
Discover the collection here.
photography. Courtesy of Ralph Lauren (via Idris Rheubottom)
words. Gennaro Costanzo
