“Our portrait of American style, and our vision of the American dream, would be incomplete without Black experiences like this.”
That quote from Ralph Lauren is prominent on the designer’s website featuring its new clothing line — inspired and created by Morehouse and Spelman alumni, faculty and students.
Lauren’s 30-minute film, “A Portrait of the American Dream,” premiered Monday night.
“Through a film curated, directed, and produced by HBCU alumni, experience the formation of historically Black colleges and universities and their resounding impact on American culture, embodied in the lives and legacies of their students.
“Through the voices of students, faculty, and alumni of @Morehouse1867 and @Spelman_College, the film explores style as a means of inspiration and aspiration, empowerment of community and self, and a tool of resistance — and reveals the making of the Polo Ralph Lauren Exclusively for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges campaign.”
You can watch the video here or on YouTube:
The limited edition clothing collaboration is now available the Ralph Lauren website, and in Spelman and Morehouse bookstores.
The Morehouse collection includes everything from a cotton ball cap — with signature chain-stitched embroidery at the back crown and a patch at the front that nods to the institution’s founding year ($69.50) — to suit jackets tailored in Italy and made from exclusive fabrics ($1,200). Checking merchandise Tuesday morning, it appeared many of the hats and smaller items were already sold out.
If you’re looking to purchase Spelman items, you should probably head to the bookstore. As of 9:15 a.m., everything on the website we clicked on — from the $98 crest silk scarf to the $988 blue Polo coat — was “currently unavailable.”
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