Ralph Lauren Pays Homage To Generations Of Black Martha's Vineyard Visitors In A New Collection

As contention swirls astir American Eagle ads featuring character Sydney Sweeney for what immoderate opportunity is culturally insensitive messaging, a run for a different celebrated apparel marque is besides grabbing attention.

Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs run launched past week, building connected a postulation inspired by crisp styling ingrained successful nan civilization of historically Black colleges and visible successful nan Black enclave connected Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, for which nan run is named.

Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs postulation pays homage to generations of Black travelers who person spent their summers connected Martha's Vineyard. Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs

The measurement Sheryl Wesley sees it, nan postulation represents deference to nan heavy history of Black group connected this land astir 90 miles southbound of Boston.

“What it has done is illuminate what we’ve already been doing present for years,” said Wesley, a Howard University postgraduate who organizes HBCU Legacy Week connected nan Vineyard, a multiday ceremony of Black civilization featuring social, master and governmental events.

Summer residents astatine Oak Bluffs successful nan 1930s.Courtesy Martha's Vineyard Museum

Massachusetts abolished slavery successful 1783, allowing Black residents location to unrecorded freely, often alongside members of nan Wampanoag tribe, which had existed location for thousands of years earlier colonialism and helped those who escaped from different states settee there.

A personnel of nan societal circle of Harlem Renaissance writer Dorothy West relaxes successful nan Highlands vicinity of Oak Bluffs successful 1948. Courtesy Martha's Vineyard Museum

After emancipation, recently freed Black group fled north, pinch immoderate uncovering cultivation activity connected Martha’s Vineyard and building homes successful Oak Bluffs. During nan early 20th century, nan vicinity became a haven for middle-class Black travelers seeking refuge from group segregation, yet attracting celebrities for illustration vocalist Lena Horne, leaders for illustration Martin Luther King Jr. and Adam Clayton Powell, and upwardly mobile Black American families.

Locations for illustration Inkwell Beach and nan Shearer Cottage, though created retired of nan forces of racism, person go sites steeped successful history. The Ralph Lauren run launches as “Black August” approaches, pinch events for illustration HBCU Legacy Week and nan Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.

Participants successful nan yearly Methodist campy gathering extracurricular a rented cottage successful nan campgrounds sometime aft 1873. Methodist (later supplemented by Baptist) campy meetings gave galore African Americans from nan Northeast their first vulnerability to Martha's Vineyard.Courtesy Martha's Vineyard Museum

For longtime Martha’s Vineyard visitors for illustration Wesley, location were concerns astir really nan designer would “respect” this legacy.

But it helps that nan postulation was conceived 5 years agone nether Ralph Lauren imaginative director James M. Jeter, a Morehouse College graduate, and Dara Douglas, a Spelman alumna and nan company’s marque and merchandise lead for creation pinch intent. The collection, inspired by nan traditions and fashions of HBCU field communities and launched successful 2022, was nan first clip Ralph Lauren curated a run pinch an all-Black imaginative squad and cast.