PRL x Gee’s Bend Jacket

Polo Ralph Lauren proudly presents a new collection from our Artist in Residence program, reflecting an evolved design approach shaped by the artisans and communities that inspire us. Honoring the joyful reclamation of Freedom Quilting, this collaboration features the work of Gee’s Bend textile artist Loretta Pettway Bennett, a fifth‑generation quilter renowned for transforming found materials into iconic geometric artwork. As part of Gee’s Bend, the historic multigenerational artist collective in Boykin, Alabama, Loretta works with discarded clothing and leftover fabric to create pieces that are both functional and visually compelling. Denim, a defining material throughout this collection, reflects the work and daily life of the Gee’s Bend artist community while expressing shared memory, resilience, and strength. Made in America from imported and domestic fabrics, this jacket features handcrafted cotton blocks which celebrate the visual storytelling of African American textile arts. The composition draws from the Gee’s Bend “Housetop” pattern, which Loretta describes as looking up into the ceiling of a home, building outward from a central point in an improvisational way. A subtle pop of red draws the eye inward, a personal detail that anchors the design in Loretta’s lived experience while echoing the broader tradition of quilts as symbols of home, shaped by warmth, protection, and family.