For three days in October, a particular vision of America took over a modern two-story building in central Tokyo. It was Ralph Lauren’s vision of America, and this was the first-ever PoloFest. The free, ticketed event was part museum to Ralph Lauren and his Polo brand, with images and quotes from Mr.
Lauren adorning the walls; part marketplace, where vintage Polo clothes were sold; and part symposium consisting of live interviews with people in the Ralph Lauren orbit. It was also a celebration of American menswear; guys dripping in Polo hung out in the courtyard of the building all weekend long sipping Ralph’s blend of coffee. I was there as both an attendee—I bought a few hundred dollars worth of vintage Polo—and a participant, having conducted two live interviews. (I was not paid to be part of it, although Ralph Lauren took care of my travel and accommodations.) The most striking aspect was the international community of people—young and old—who love Polo.
I heard about one couple, for instance, who flew all the way from Detroit for the event. David Lauren, the company’s vice chairman and son of Ralph, took frequent laps around the festival engaging in a version of retail politics: shaking hands, asking questions, and posing for countless selfies. The clothes for the marketplace came from nearly two dozen vintage sellers from around the world.
Some of it was what you might expect: navy-blue blazers with gold buttons, oxfords with the signature pony, ties. But most of the clothes you either hadn’t seen in years—since perhaps your dad or older brother wore them in the ’80s and ’90s—or never knew existed, like Polo cowboy boots. In addition to Polo and Polo Sport, there were long-defunct sub-brands like Polo Country and Polo Sportsman, which fetched some of the highest prices.
I bought a perfectly faded denim button-down from 1990, a Polo Sport T-shirt I definitely wore in the ’90s, a tie, and a well-worn plaid flannel shirt. There was also a merch shop selling PoloFest shirts, posters, skate decks, and oxfords and blazers made specially for the occasion. I never made it into the shop because the line was always too long.
On the second floor of the venue was the site of the live interviews. I kicked off the weekend on Friday morning when I interviewed Neil Zarama, a Native-American silversmith behind the brand Whirling Log and Arrow as well as a chopper maker (as in the motorcycles), whose work was part of Ralph Lauren’s Authentic Maker program. Other interviews included Polo collectors, people with great personal style, and Tyson Beckford, the supermodel who helped define Ralph Lauren in the ’90s.
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