Polo Ralph Lauren Brings Indigenous Craft Into Modern Aesthetics With TÓPA

Ralph Lauren is expanding its creative world by working directly with the artisans whose traditions have shaped its aesthetic for years.

The designer brand just introduced its new Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA collection for Fall/Holiday 2025, the latest chapter in its Artist in Residence program.

The brand’s design teams are paired with artisans who sustain traditional craft, allowing the label to work side by side with communities that have shaped its visual language for decades.

TÓPA is founded by Jocy and Trae Little Sky, who are designers and performers.

They're also members of the Oceti Sakowin, which means "Seven Council Fires."

It refers to a confederation of related Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, including the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes. 

Their artistry, which includes quilling, beading, and intricate leatherwork, reflects the teachings and techniques passed through their families.

A portion of each sale will support the Thunder Valley CDC, which promotes Lakota language learning and cultural programming.

“This collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren honors our community, culture and way of life," Jocy Little Sky said in a press release.

[A]nd we hope it inspires people to be proud of who they are, where they come from and to follow their dreams.” 

It shows how the partnership places real investment behind the stories the collection draws from, displaying a model where heritage and authorship drive design.

Guided by Living Traditions

Ralph Lauren has long built its imagery around the American West, and this new collection broadens and deepens this perspective.

TÓPA’s designs merge with Polo’s classic knitwear and outerwear, creating pieces that carry the house’s familiar look and the cultural depth of the Northern Plains.

In the languages of the Oceti Sakowin, TÓPA means “four,” a number tied to seasons, directions, and stages of life.

And these meanings appear throughout the patterns and color choices in the collection.

A four-minute cinematic film brings the story to life, shot on the ancestral lands of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.

It follows the Little Sky family’s routines and celebrations, offering a view of the traditions that inform their work and grounding the collection in real context.

It also shows how purpose-led storytelling can strengthen a brand’s relationship with the culture it draws from.

A New Direction for Brand Partnerships

The Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA collection highlights several ideas shaping strategic brand collabs:

• Work directly with cultural leaders. True collaboration starts with the people who carry the knowledge and continue the tradition.
• Pair signature design with heritage. Polo’s modern silhouettes gain a new dimension when coupled with techniques that have been practiced for generations.
• Connect purpose to the product. Directing part of the purchase price to Thunder Valley CDC ties the collection to something that can be felt by the community.

These choices reflect a market where consumers want to see documented purpose and cultural clarity, especially from legacy houses with global influence.

Our Take: Is Ralph Lauren Strengthening Its American Legacy?

Yes, I think so. This partnership gives Ralph Lauren a stronger and more grounded connection to the world it has referenced for decades.

Working with Indigenous artists moves the brand beyond interpretation and into participation.

It also helps balance the label’s long history of drawing from Western imagery by involving the communities that actually shaped it.

The TÓPA collaboration shows how luxury can honor tradition with care while still offering something new.

I believe it's a step toward a future where brand storytelling, craft, and community investment all hold equal weight.

Ralph Lauren has followed this path before, including its Oak Bluffs collection inspired by the heritage of a historic Black coastal community.

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