Note: all following images are from Ralph Lauren Polo Fall 2023 campaign by Richard Phibbs.

Polo Ralph Lauren Fall 2023 Campaign by Richard Phibbs | AOC on Color Barriers in Education AOC Fashion

Ralph Lauren is quick to confirm that his brand is about lifestyle and not fashion. Especially in the age of Instagram and other visual social media platforms, Ralph Lauren’s ad campaigns and social media posts invite us into the designer’s real world of home, fashion, family and lifestyles inspiration.

As confirmation of this key point, Rizzoli released a new Ralph Lauren tome on September 26, just in time for the 2023 holidays. It’s called “Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living.”

Ralph Lauren and the American Dream

As an American — and long before I launched Anne of Carversville in 2007 — Ralph Lauren represented the American dream to me. Lauren has successfully woven America’s stories into the very fabric of his brand, creating a unique narrative like no other American designer.

Today, an older, wiser, and a more empathetic Ralph Lauren stands at the crossroads of American democracy. In the same moment, I am pouring over the details of American history on a daily basis and grabbing every creative opportunity to talk about them.

The evolution of Ralph Lauren’s humanist journey is discussed separately on AOC. It’s not the case that Ralph grabbed the global citizen flag and hit the road as an advocate for humanist values, as Brunello Cucinelli has done for decades.

But the Ralph Lauren company has met the moment for a good long run now.

When you put Polo Ralph Lauren together with Richard Phibbs [IG] as photographer, Anne’s day is derailed as I decide what to write. Poor Phibbs. He always inspires deep thinking at AOC.

Today, AOC dug into the racial particulars of Britain’s famous Goodwood Motor Circuit racetrack, located in the English countryside around West Sussex. We also examined the racial-academia angle of the campaign, comparing the educational opportunities for people of color in America, compared to Britain’s.