“I think Ralph Lauren has a core understanding of what our American icons are about,” David Lauren, the company’s chief branding and innovation officer — and yes, son of Ralph Lauren himself — says. “But we also understand that’s something that has to be constantly reinvented to ensure that it stays fresh and exciting.”
Lauren is seated on a bench in the main room of the Ralph Lauren Corporation’s palatal offices, a stone’s throw from the south side of Central Park. The ornate wood detailing, heritage carpeting and other grand decor spread around the space are enough to fulfill the dreams of even the most die-hard ‘Lo lover (it’s quite literally a physical manifestation of the brand’s time-honored “world”) but today the ante has been upped: the company is unveiling its latest Olympic collection for Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter of Team USA since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (past outfits can be seen in the gallery above). Since then, the brand has established a signature visual language for America’s finest athletes — one that imbues the inherent timelessness of RL goods with just enough sporting flair. Think crisp navy blazers with clever flag embellishments, white trousers, striped oxfords, and, in the winter, boldly-branded red, white and blue coats.
Now, for 2024, the brand is saluting Olympics past, but also looking to encapsulate American culture today — and nod to what it may be in the future. The opening ceremony uniforms may be the most dressed-down Ralph Lauren has created yet, combining its signature blazers with wide-striped oxford shirts and swapping out chinos for denim, a true American staple. On the other end, the motorsport-inspired closing ceremony collection is borderline logomania, with big, bold embellishments that directly nod to motorsport, and, perhaps more indirectly, salute Polo Sport and Ralph Lauren’s long-standing ties to hip-hop. In between these poles sit the pieces that Ralph Lauren created for athletes to wear in the Olympic Village, a wide array of casual styles that includes bomber jackets, chore coats, satin baseball jackets, hoodies, tees and even a chore coat. Of course, Polo’s famed flag sweater can be spotted as well, complete with an Olympic ring detail.
“Both the opening and closing ceremony are a piece of history, so these products will be kept by the athletes for the rest of their lives,” says Lauren. “That’s important to us, so we want to ensure that each piece conveys great emotion and storytelling.”
The opening collection presents a more formal look with its blazers and sharp cuts, while the closing collection offers a louder and more logo-driven look. What prompted that difference between the two?
Our job for the opening ceremony is to make Team USA feel like ambassadors on a global stage. The idea of a blazer, its sense of formality, makes the team look unified, strong and ready for business. But we also mixed it with jeans because that’s how modern Americans dress: more casually than they did in the past.
Like you said, the closing ceremony collection is distinctly sporty and graphic. But just like the opening ceremony collection, everything about it says it’s a piece of Olympic history. Any product in either collection can be recognized as very Ralph Lauren and very American.
“The product has to be at once timeless and future-oriented.”
How do you blend the tradition of the Olympics with the timelessness of Ralph Lauren, and how does that translate onto the final product?
We have to tell a story about what America is about today. The product has to be at once timeless and future-oriented. At once graphic and understated. At once red, white and blue [smiles]. It has to tell a story about athletes from multiple sports, from basketball to gymnastics. It has to tell a story about the diversity of America today. That’s why we’ve got everything from denim jackets to cargo pants here.
To your point, it seems like the scope of the Olympics is wider than ever too — you’ve got “traditional” Olympic sports like track and field or swimming, but they’re joined by other sports like breakdancing or skateboarding. It feels like a wider cross-section of American culture is on display.
We’ve got surfers, swimmers, gymnasts, fencers and more in our campaign this time around. It’s amazing to see all the different sections and what they like, what they’re comfortable with: the gear a breaker might want, what a BMXer is wearing when they’re mid-backflip. We tried to take inspiration from all of those cultures, make something for everyone.
“It’s not so much about what label it is as it is the story we’re telling.”
Well before Ralph Lauren started making official gear for the US Olympic teams, patriotic embellishments, from USA script logos to American flags, were commonplace on the brand’s lifestyle wear and Polo Sport goods. Does the design language established on those pieces inform the official team gear in any way?
Over our 57 years, Ralph Lauren has told a variety of stories. No matter if it’s Polo, Polo Sport or RLX, we’re coming from the same DNA, so when it’s appropriate we can be more graphic, use more performance materials, do whatever we need to do.
We’re constantly dipping into the well, but we have a responsibility to move forward too. With this collection it’s not so much about what label it is as it is the story we’re telling, the athlete who’s wearing the clothes and how we make sure they feel like our offerings are part of their DNA. We want to salute what America looks like today, but imagine what it could look like in the future as well.
On the subject of the future, the Olympics is every four years, meaning there will always be a “next” installment. How do you balance creating items that feel “of the moment” with making designs that will stand the test of time and not feel “dated” by the time the next Olympics comes around?
I think Ralph Lauren has a core DNA and a core understanding of what our American icons are about, but we also understand that’s something that has to be constantly reinvented to ensure that it stays fresh and exciting.
“We’re not just reflecting [Olympic] culture, but helping to define what it’s about today.”
Apart from the immense visibility a collection like this brings the brand, why are the Olympic goods so important to the Ralph Lauren lineage?
The Olympics are the single greatest cultural milestone. More people watch the Olympics than any singular sporting event. Billions of people across the world will be tuned in to see the stories of the Games, and that includes the stories of American athletes. When they’re wearing Ralph Lauren, that makes us part of what Olympic culture is about. We’re not just reflecting that culture, but helping to define what it’s about today.
What about the collection makes you the proudest?
I’d say it’s not so much a specific design or product as it is the collection’s overall look, spirit and attitude. There’s nothing like a product coming to life on an athlete. A piece becomes so much more exciting when it’s worn by the greatest swimmer in the world who just won a gold medal — and now they’re standing there, beaming, wearing a Ralph Lauren piece. That’s what it’s all about for us, and we’re focused on creating something that both speaks to American culture and makes our athletes feel confident, strong and smart. That’s our job: to be a part of what they need to win.
What’s your favorite Olympic event — and what’s your dad’s favorite Olympic event?
We love all the events — and I swear I’m not dodging the question! [laughs]. You always go into the Olympics really anticipating some events, and you’re always blown away by at least one you weren’t anticipating. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn and to be inspired, so we mostly just go in searching for inspiration and seeking heroes.
Look for the entire Ralph Lauren Team USA collection to release on the brand’s webstore later this summer — and catch it on Team USA’s athletes throughout the 2024 Olympic Games.
