New Polo Graduates

For six years now, the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation has run an after school fashion program, at an inner-city youth school. This year’s school chosen was Hetrick-Martin’s Institute Harvey Milk School, created for the lesbian, bi-sexual, gay, and transgender teens. A select group of ten students were chosen to participate in the twenty-five week program, working with some of the Ralph Lauren Company’s top executives. These executives created a curriculum, which they change yearly, to really challenge the teens fashion sense. They were taught the ins-and-outs of the fashion industry and asked to work on two large projects.

The first project was to create four gowns, to be photographed in a shoot with photographer Carter Berg. They were asked to follow four distinctly different themes for each, “Hollywood Glamour,” Equestrian,” Alpine Chic,” and American West.” The students started from the ground up, researching then creating inspiration boards. They were taught everything of utmost importance, “design, fabric, sourcing, production, retail, merchandising, advertising, licensing and human resources” Women’s Wear Daily author Marc Karimzadeh said.

A gala was then held November 10, 2009 in the Emery Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, celebrating the Hetrick-Martin’s Schools 30^th anniversary. There, the four gowns were put on display as well as a commemorative documentary sharing the hard work the ten Hetrick-Martin students put into their time while with the Polo Fashion School.

I addition to the gown project, the Ralph Lauren executives made a tote bag competition amongst the students, asking them to create original tote designs. The winning design names “Kiss Bag” comes in two styles, an “I kiss girls” or “I kiss boys.” The totes can be found at two store locations, at the NYC University Place Rugby store and the Bleecker Street Polo Ralph Lauren, as well as Rugby.com. The full profit from the proceeds goes towards the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Since 2004 the Polo Fashion School has reached out to a select group of gifted and motivated students each year. Their mission being to inspire some of the youth to follow there career path into the fashion industry. The most recent group from HMI was clearly thankful with the opportunity given to them, making a presentation to thank the Ralph Lauren team for their donated time.

I believe it is a wonderful program that Polo Ralph Lauren has created and carried on. They educate students on the fashion area in which they would not have normally been taught about, within the schools Ralph Lauren has adopted. This helps promote inspirations within then and an eye in-to a possible career opportunity down the road. The tote bag proceeds that go to HMI as well, is an additional form of outreach Ralph Lauren gives to the community, in which is extremely charitable.