Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA Preserves Indigenous Traditions of the Northern Plains
Featuring traditional motifs, including thípi graphics, four-pointed stars and TÓPA’s signature border design.
Summary
- Polo Ralph Lauren’s Artist in Residence program features TÓPA, an Indigenous-led label from the Oceti Sakowin nation, blending Polo classics with TÓPA’s traditional designs.
- The capsule, including sweaters and coats, celebrates enduring craftsmanship, with 5% of the purchase price supporting the Thunder Valley CDC’s Lakota Language and Education Initiative.
Continuing its ongoing Artist in Residence program, Polo Ralph Lauren has partnered with TÓPA, an Indigenous-led label centered on merging Native designs with modern silhouettes. The cross-cultural collection blends the signature elements of the Indigenous-led label with Polo’s classic fall staples, celebrating the beauty behind enduring craftsmanship.
For TÓPA’s limited-edition Polo Ralph Lauren capsule, intarsia v-neck sweaters, chore coats, and trousers are adorned with the brand’s signature border designs, inspired by the Dakotas’ visually striking valley trails. Standing out with an Americana edge is a studded leather jacket, featuring four-pointed stars, and a mirrored thípi graphic at the back.
Partners-turned-founders Jocy and Trae Little Sky named the brand TÓPA, meaning “four” in the languages of the Oceti Sakowin, to honor the number’s significance in their cultural traditions and design motifs. Rooted in Indigenous heritage, their brand seamlessly blends modern styles with traditional visual elements of the Northern Plains peoples.
View this post on Instagram
While Jocy is Dakota and from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and Trae is Oglala Lakota and Stoney Nakoda, the couple conserves their ancestral crafts in handmade regalia worn during Pow Wows, employing time-honored methods such as quilling, beading, and leatherwork.
“We’ve long admired Ralph Lauren and how the brand brings worlds to life through its designs and storytelling,” shared Jocy. “This collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren honors our community, culture, and way of life, and we hope it inspires people to be proud of who they are, where they come from, and to follow their dreams,” she added.
According to Ralph Lauren, 5% of the purchase price of each item of the Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA collection will be donated to Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, supporting its Lakota Language and Education Initiative. The company’s Artist in Residence program began in 2023, aiming to sustain heritage craft by collaborating with artisans on mutually beneficial capsules.
Shop the collection now at the Ralph Lauren web store and stay tuned to Hypebeast for the latest fashion industry insights.
