Robin Driver
May 11, 2021
Just as the baseball season gets into full swing, American fashion company Ralph Lauren Corporation
has joined forces with Major League Baseball (MLB) for a partnership that will include three collections made in collaboration with iconic teams.
Launching this summer, the first multi-team capsule features the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. Later collections will incorporate additional teams, including the Boston Red Sox.
The debut collection offers Polo shirts, satin jackets, fleece sweatshirts and New Era caps in team colorways for both adults and kids, as well as special team-themed Polo Bear Polo shirts and crewneck sweatshirts.
The collection also feature classic Ralph Lauren colors that have been incorporated into pieces in accordance with each team: red/navy and green/white for the Yankees, green/blue for the Cubs, and green/white for the Dodgers and Cardinals.
Company founder and chief creative officer Ralph Lauren is a lifelong baseball fan, who grew up worshiping star Yankees players like Mickey Mantle. The satin jackets in the first collection of the MLB partnership are inspired by the one worn by Lauren when he was invited to throw a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in fall 2018, in celebration of his company’s 50th anniversary. Ralph Lauren subsequently made a limited-edition Yankees collection that sold out instantly.
Outside of baseball, the company has also collaborated with other sporting teams and institutions, including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the PGA of America, the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and the U.S. Open Golf Championship.
To promote the MLB collections, Ralph Lauren is launching a digital-first global campaign that takes inspiration from vintage baseball cards. Furthermore, the Ralph’s Airstream is undertaking a cross-country tour, offering ballpark food and beverages at key locations including NYC and Chicago’s Gallagher Way.
The first installment of the Ralph Lauren x MLB partnership debuted on May 10 and is now available at specialty stores around the world, including Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and the MLB Flagship Store in New York, as well as in select MLB Club stadium stores and Ralph Lauren locations. Online, the collection can be found on the Ralph Lauren e-commerce website, MLBShop.com and The Polo App.
The partnership’s two remaining capsules will be released in this year’s Fall and Holiday seasons.