Polo Ralph Lauren shares its Fall 2022 campaign with models Devi Rae, Mathilda Gvarliani and Najiyah Imani. Ralph Lauren’s Jack Becht is creative director with images by Alasdair McLellan [IG]./ Hair by Claire Grech; makeup by Lynsey Alexander

The Polo Ralph Lauren Fall 2022 Collection film is another one to watch. There is a great consciousness and appreciation of nature expressed far beyond fronting of the season’s latest handbag. This is the same vibe AOC felt last week, writing about Polo Fall 2022 accessories film. Additionally, there is an expressed human connection among the models — and not as a girl gaggle in the style of Victoria’s Secret. [That statement is not a criticism of VS.]

The Humanity of Ralph Lauren Brands

The entire Ralph Lauren business is working on ways to communicate its values in our larger society and culture for over a decade.with an acknowledgment that human connections must be part of the Ralph Lauren DNA.

Few luxury brands must take on this mantle — one that is different from corporate responsibility and being a generally good steward of the world at large and its people.

In the case of Ralph Lauren, without significant changes in its identity as uniquely American brand based on the best of the American heritage and experience, Ralph Lauren would be one of the most hypocritical brands in the world. Today Ralph Lauren views itself as a change agent in solving problems and also embracing the complexity of the real American experience and history for different groups of people.

By contrast, Louis Vuitton didn’t carry this responsibility in a visceral way until Virgil Abloh got to the men’s division and turned it inside out. Now we expect Louis Vuitton Men’s to have a high-degree of brand DNA creation that is driven by human values centered around creative talents in our multicultural world and also the sponsorship of creativity and talent in marginalized communities.

In late June 2022, Ralph Lauren issued its 2022 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report, outlining the Company’s progress across its environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. The document also introduces the Ralph Lauren company’s commitment to Timeless by Design.

This document should be required reading as one attempt to address in detail the goals of Ralph Lauren in the world at large. It’s too complex for the sustainability ‘raters’ of business enterprises to evaluate. But it’s a blueprint for what is expected today from our best companys worldwide.

AOC will digest the Timeless by Design document more fully, but we are very impressed by its scope and level of detail.