Last weekend in Tokyo was Polo Fest, a three-day event that celebrated Polo Ralph Lauren’s 50th anniversary of launching in Japan. It gathered vintage stores from around the world, bought their wares, and then sold them for relatively fair prices in an eclectic bazaar in Shibuya. It invited a bunch of these sellers on the floor to take in the action, where all of their products were mixed together and merchandised by the various style world’s that comprise the Polo Ralph Lauren aesthetic—classic tailoring, rugged Polo Country, and the streetwear-adjacent Polo Sport.
While everyone was marveling at the sheer scale of the sales floor, legendary vintage purveyor Brian Procell and his partner Jessica Gonsalves were relaying a story about something that had recently happened at their New York City shop while they were traveling. Ye had stopped in a few weeks before playing in Jakarta, Indonesia. And the very thing he left the shop with? A few pieces from Polo Ralph Lauren.
It was almost too perfect. No matter who you are, if you’re into clothes, for some reason you always find a way back to Ralph Lauren. Not only did a kid from The Bronx create the world’s first true lifestyle brand, nearly 60 years later, so many people are still trying to emulate his formula—but the sauce still remains with him.
In a world where conventions are almost a death knell for culture, Polo Fest subverted the very things that can make things like ComplexCon feel corny and overly commercial. There was a de-emphasis on exclusive product—although there was plenty of that—and even shopping itself. The vintage bazaar was certainly an attraction, but it was preceded by thoughtful exhibits featuring iconic Polo collections and outfits that have become a big part of pop culture (like Diane Keaton’s outfit from Annie Hall).
This was reinforced by the various panels and speaker series that complemented the vintage bazaar and exclusive merch. Curated by author W. David. Marx and former Esquire editor-in-chief Jay Fielden, these paid homage to different aspects of Polo culture: from collecting, its effect on style, and its importance in the zeitgeist.
They brought out some heavy hitters for the panels too, including Lo-Life founder Thirstin Howl III and Tom Gould, stylist and author of Black Ivy: A Revolt In Style Jason Jules, Gauthier Borsarello of L’Etiquette, Drew Heifetz of F As In Frank, supermodel and iconic face of Polo Sport Tyson Beckford, and even Andre 3000 himself.