Sydney Anmuth
Ralph Lauren: Archiving the American Dream, 2025
Mixed-media collage on canvas
Printed heavyweight matte paper, cardboard, fabric scraps, and hot glue
30 × 40 in.

Digital tools: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop

Ralph Lauren fashion collage featuring vintage advertisements, clothing, models, polo sportswear, equestrian imagery, and Olympic athletes
Ralph Lauren fashion collage featuring vintage advertisements, clothing, models, polo sportswear, equestrian imagery, and Olympic athletes

Ralph Lauren: Archiving the American Dream

Reinterpreting the codes of American style

2025 · Mixed-media collage

Ralph Lauren fashion collage artwork mounted on a wood-paneled wall above a console table with stacked books

I researched Ralph Lauren’s archival advertising and the Lo-Lifes’ adoption of Polo to examine how brand heritage shapes perceptions of aspiration, status, and belonging. Comparing campaigns across decades, I identified recurring visual codes and explored how different audiences reinterpret them. These findings informed my creative direction, from selecting and digitally reworking imagery to composing and assembling the final collage. Grounding my choices of imagery, materials, and presentation in this research, I explored how a brand’s identity remains recognizable over time while its cultural meaning evolves.