Introducing the Polo Ralph Lauren X Naiomi Glasses Collection
The inaugural partnership of the brand’s Artist in Residence program honors Navajo heritage in its beautiful third collection with seventh generation Diné (Navajo) weaver and textile artist NAIOMI GLASSES
“Navajo weaving is a craft that has carried on through my family for seven generations,” says Navajo weaver and textile artist, Naiomi Glasses. “Preserving these traditions in new ways has been so inspiring to me as an artist.” Glasses is the inaugural collaborator in Polo Ralph Lauren’s groundbreaking new Artist in Residence program, which launched in December 2023, and has created a striking collection influenced by her love for rodeo culture – both its heritage and its deep connection to the Navajo way of life.
The much-loved New York-based brand has been inspired by the “lands, culture and artistry” that make up America over Ralph Lauren’s 57-year heritage, and this new program is part of a commitment to take “meaningful steps to be more inclusive throughout our business” by evolving its design approach from inspiration to collaboration. In Lauren’s own words: “Bringing the most authentic expression of heritage craft to life means working with those who have created and sustained these timeless traditions for centuries and sharing their stories with the world.”
“Bringing the most authentic expression of heritage craft to life means working with those who have created and sustained these timeless traditions for centuries and sharing their stories with the world
”Ralph Lauren
Glasses is a 27-year-old seventh generation Navajo weaver, who learned her craft from her grandmother, Nellie, working with wool from sheep her family raised. This lineup is the third drop in a series of special-edition collections in which Glasses has reimagined her original designs into a collection inspired by her family, homeland and the Dinétah (Navajo Nation) community, as well as preserving the ancient heritage craft of weaving – the color palette, patterns and motifs all celebrate Navajo artistry.
Navajo culture is, of course, central to the collection’s aesthetic: variegated stripes (a nod to the Navajo Nation’s unique rock formations), colors inspired by the land, and symbols with strong significance in Navajo culture are carefully worked into designs. See the Four-Directional Crosses, which reference the Earth’s four directions, and the significance of the number four in Navajo tradition.
In creating the collections, it was important to both Glasses and the Polo Ralph Lauren brand that the collaborative relationship be very close – bringing Glasses’ vision to life and ensuring that the qualities of her own work are translated as faithfully as possible into the collections. The result is a series of covetable, beautifully crafted pieces. Blues dominate the palette this season, with the Navajo symbolism, motifs and stripes which have become signature to the collaboration. Western-style long-sleeved shirts and flared denim jeans speak directly to the rodeo inspiration, while enveloping overcoats, cardigan coats and knitwear are perfect transitional layering pieces. The Wearing Blanket is Naiomi’s riff on this classic style and features her motifs in this season’s palette.
The full three-part collection is supported by campaign imagery and a docuseries – and a significant amount of talent featured within are Glasses’ family, friends and community members.” Alongside the ready-to-wear collection, a series of turquoise (the color and stone have strong significance in Navajo tradition) and silver jewelry – created by several families from Navajo Nation, Hopi Nation, San Felipe Pueblo and Zuni Pueblo – reflect both Glasses’ and Lauren’s desire to amplify other Indigenous artists through this collaboration and the wider Artist in Residence program. The best part, for Glasses, is that “it brings traditional Navajo weaving to a new generation.”