Ralph Lauren’s “Snow Beach” Collection (Including That Jacket) Is Back

So we convened a group of Lo Heads—Raekwon included—to reflect on “Snow Beach,” which is finally back in stores.
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From left: Polo Ralph Lauren "Snow Beach" Hooded Rugby Shirt, $265, Vest, $265, Bucket Hat, $69.50, Poncho, $395, Pullover, $395, available February 1 at Ralph Lauren

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In the early '90s, Ralph Lauren was more or less unstoppable. Staples like the suits, polo shirts, and ties that made the brand famous were ubiquitous among the country-club crowd, and in the city, fans were also flocking to Ralph's more logo-heavy gear under the Polo Sport label, which launched in 1992. The Polo Sport pieces from those days included classic collections like Stadium and, even more memorably, Snow Beach, which hit shelves in 1993.

The Snow Beach collection, which consisted of hoodies, hats, and, most iconically, a pullover parka in yellow, navy blue, and red, is today some of the priciest vintage Ralph Lauren on the market. Part of that has to do with the fact that the collection was limited-edition to begin with. But it's also because standout Polo was the hottest thing to wear. (Think of the way kids flock to Supreme today for a logo tee or hoodie, and then double it.) Soon enough, the "Lo Heads," who sported head-to-toe Polo and amassed collections of gear with each passing season, were a dominant style tribe.

Today, after 25 years, Ralph Lauren is bringing back Snow Beach. The brand has added modern takes to the offering, including a capsule of black-and-white versions of each piece (including that famous parka). To celebrate, we enlisted Bloody Osiris, one of the Internet's favorite up-and-coming stylists, to take the new gear for a spin. But seeing as Bloody wasn't even born when Snow Beach dropped the first time, we also checked in with menswear heads who were there for Polo Sport's heyday, like Awake NY founder Angelo Baque, and owner of the Los Angeles menswear shop Magasin, Josh Peskowitz. And because no Snow Beach retrospective would be complete without the Wu-Tang Clan's own Raekwon, who singlehandedly made the Snow Beach parka iconic by wearing it in the group's video for "Can It Be So Simple," we gave the Chef himself a call, too.

Polo Ralph Lauren's "Snow Beach" color capsule drops on Thursday, January 25. The black-and-white collection releases on Thursday, February 1. Available in-store and online at Ralph Lauren.


Back in the Day

Raekwon, rapper, Wu-Tang Clan:
Polo was the sporty, young-guy type of clothing brand. And people wanted it ’cause it cost a decent amount of money, and people with money wore it. We just adopted it because of the colors, the flags on it. They were winning back then ’cause they had the university type of feel that everyone loved. All it took was people in the rap game to start talking about it and wear it casually to help the brand climb to a level where they won't even acknowledge it.

Angelo Baque, founder of Awake NY:
When Snow Beach came out, it was the height of the second generation of Lo Lifes in New York. In the mid-to-late '80s, you had the Brownsville guys, the original Lo Lifes, who held it down. But I was too young to take notice. But in the early ’90s, a new generation grew out of Brownsville to include graffiti writers and kids who would run around the village, but they took the same means to getting the gear as the originals. They boosted it from Macy's or wherever. But they were collecting a lot of things from a young age, like Polo, The Source magazines, so they were ahead of the game. I knew some dudes who still had that jacket in the early '00s, when it was already worth $800. They had an idea early on that the jacket was a commodity, even before re-seller culture and eBay came into play.

Josh Peskowitz, owner of Magasin:
I just think that particular moment in Ralph Lauren's history was big for the brand. I would say that any man who is into clothes or hip-hop knows that Ralph Lauren was a big part of the consciousness back then. It was such a departure from anything else that had been done, that and Stadium. It was similar to when RRL came out: It was Ralph, but it was just a different kind of vibe from him. And of course once you can't have something, that's when everyone wants it. So the fact that it was such a limited run meant it became more popular after it was already out of stores.

Baque:
At that time, Ralph was everywhere, it was in your face. If you got on the train back in the day and saw someone who had all the Polo pieces on, the boonie hat, the Snow Beach vest, it would make you wanna know who they were. You'd think he were a famous [graffiti] writer, or a Brooklyn stick-up kid. The rich kids who owned that shit wouldn't leave the neighborhood. One way Ralph did help usher in streetwear is because he never acknowledged us—young, urban kids of color. It made us have to make our own shit. The people who were starting brands back then were self-aware enough to say basically, Fuck this, we're going to do our own thing.

Polo Ralph Lauren "Snow Beach" pullover, $395, hooded rugby shirt, $265, available January 25 at Ralph Lauren.

Raekwon’s Parka

Bloody Osiris, stylist:
I'm not from that era, but I grew up on Wu-Tang. First time I saw Raekwon in that jacket in the video, it made me want it. When I found it online, it was like $2,000, and I wasn't paying that kind of money for clothes back then. Now I'd do it if I found it.

Baque:
To me, that jacket wasn't a thing until Raekwon wore it. Once he wore that in the video, that solidified it as a coveted piece. At that point, people got fucked up by Lo Lifes for wearing it, and got it stolen off their backs on the A train. You couldn't just be a regular cat wearing that jacket. You became a target. Ever since then, it's always been a coveted, sought-after piece.

Peskowitz:
I was 14 years old and definitely already wearing Polo, but I wasn't in the Polo store all the time like that. I was 14, I didn't have any money. I saw Raekwon wearing the jacket in the "Can It All Be So Simple" video and was just like, "Whoa." At the time, Polo Sport was everything. I actually got into the clothing business by working at the store so I could buy Polo Sport sweatpants. I literally got into fashion because of that. So even though I didn't own any of the Snow Beach pieces, it definitely was a big part of the consciousness.

Raekwon:
When I bought that jacket, I just wanted it ’cause it was colorful. I wanted to be comfortable and colorful, and to let people know this is how we dress over here. And it definitely is an honor to be considered the one who made that jacket blow up. It's cool and I love my fans that much, and if they're looking at what I'm wearing and thinking it's something iconic or something I brought to the table, it's a blessing. I started from Ramen, and we took things to the next level, so it's a beautiful thing.

The Re-Release

Peskowitz:
I think one of the reasons people have always been able to buy Ralph Lauren pieces and make them their own is that it is such a big brand, so pieces can be interpreted in different ways. But never looking back was always part of the mystique of Ralph Lauren. You just have to look at it like a generational thing. The brand is based on Ralph's own unique take on the world, but if you look at people from their mid-40s to mid-20s, who are making decisions in the creative world now, not even just fashion. So it's only natural that the things these people felt passionate about at a young age would come back around. It's also a cultural thing. We live in an era of retro clothes. And the fashion industry is in flux, so brands are looking to find new things that work. Right now, the brands that are jumping off are informed by moments around that time [of Snow Beach].

Osiris:
Ralph will never be irrelevant. But thing is, today to kids, our Tupac is Kendrick, and our Ralph is Raf or Rick Owens. It goes to show you this culture we're a part of is very strong, and it can reach someone like Ralph in his office. But they should bring the culture kids in, not even me, but some younger kids. We're tired of wearing what older people design. We're taking influence from things older people might not even know about, like Travis Scott or Lil Yachty. Older people might be listening to, like, Bobby Womack, but we're just not connecting with that.

Baque:
I know there are purists with their panties in a bunch, but it's so the younger generation can get a hold of it. And for me, who couldn't get it the first time around, I'm gonna buy it. It's a nostalgic piece and means something to me.

Polo Ralph Lauren "Snow Beach" vest, $265, hooded rugby shirt, $265, bucket hat, $69.50, available January 25 at Ralph Lauren.

Osiris:
[Wearing the new collection,] I felt like a part of history. Thing is, right now in fashion a lot of stuff is based off hype. So these are definitely gonna be hyped pieces, and everyone is gonna want 'em.

Raekwon:
You know, Ralph needs to call me anyway and thank me. I'm still waiting for him to call me. But Ralph Lauren was one of the brands we flocked to as kids, and it affected our life when it came to fashion. I'm glad they're doing it. There are a lot of pieces we wished we could have had as kids that now brands are bringing back. It's good to see that brands like Ralph are seeing what's going on in the culture and not just going by a traditional way of thinking. Brands are finally starting to come around and acknowledge the culture. So for me to be the ambassador of that jacket is special.

Polo Ralph Lauren "Snow Beach" pullover, $395, hooded rugby shirt, $265, bucket hat, $69.50, available February 1 at Ralph Lauren.

Grooming by Rachel Leidig

Styling by Bloody Osiris