Source: POLO RALPH LAUREN / FORTNITE / POLO RALPH LAUREN / FORTNITE
Polo Ralph Lauren and Epic Games, the creator and publisher of the globally popular online game Fortnite, have announced a groundbreaking convergence of two culture-defining brands.
Source: POLO RALPH LAUREN / FORTNITE / POLO RALPH LAUREN / FORTNITE
As spotted on Hype Beast, the partnership will debut a digital apparel and accessories collection launching in the Fortnite Item Shop, as well as a physical apparel capsule—inspired by the digital-first collection. For the first time in Ralph Lauren’s five-decade history, the Polo Pony—one of the world’s most iconic logos—has been specially redesigned to commemorate the collaboration with Fortnite, a testament to the Company’s belief in the power of the metaverse.
In a first for Ralph Lauren, the collection was concepted as a digital-first capsule, creatively influenced by a gaming design aesthetic. The digital Outfits showcase Ralph Lauren’s signature artistry and craftsmanship, rendered in high fidelity with incredibly rich detail, while the physical capsule collection translates the Outfits into the real world. Underlining this interplay between digital and physical, the boot will come to life as a replica of the digital version shown in the Fortnite outfits, and will be available in the coming months.
Both the digital and physical Polo Stadium collection draws inspiration from the heritage of the brand’s celebrated Stadium collection and Polo Sport line from the 1990s, reimagined for the metaverse. The digital collection will debut two outfits, with alternate styles, and additional in-game cosmetics that will be available for purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop beginning Nov. 5.
The physical apparel capsule collection will also be available on Nov. 2, exclusively on RalphLauren.com. An additional product drop will launch globally on Dec. 1 on RalphLauren.com, The Ralph Lauren App, the Polo-67 App, in select Ralph Lauren retail stores and specialty retailers including Bodega, Citadium, Highsnobiety, BSTN, LVL Gaming hub, Beams, and CMG Central World.
“Ralph Lauren has always designed dreams and created new worlds, and today, our collaboration with Fortnite will deliver a groundbreaking experience to a new community of next-generation players and consumers. Our partnership represents a completely fresh take on the Ralph Lauren brand—designing for the metaverse first—that is thoroughly focused on the future. We are excited to continue to lead digital exploration, building on our decades-long track record of pioneering innovation,” said David Lauren, Chief Branding and Innovation Officer at Ralph Lauren.
In celebration of the launch, Ralph Lauren will host a series of activations to authentically engage the gaming community, including a Twitch livestream launch event, and will be the first luxury brand to cohost a player tournament in Fortnite. The collaboration builds on Ralph Lauren’s long track record in digital innovation and storytelling. From pioneering one of the first brand e-commerce sites more than 25 years ago, to more recently delivering immersive virtual experiences using augmented reality and launching unique digital products, Ralph Lauren is pushing the boundaries of what it means to develop dynamic new worlds both in real life and online.
Photo: Polo Ralph Lauren / Fortnite