‘WE CAN DO BETTER’

Ralph Lauren Apologizes for ‘Plagiarizing’ Indigenous Designs

The first lady of Mexico called the brand out for utilizing designs from the Contla and Saltillo people in making its $360 cardigan.

Ralph Lauren has apologized after the first lady of Mexico, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, called the fashion brand out for “plagiarizing” Indigenous designs for a cardigan. The $360 sweater features designs Müller said come from the people of Contla and Satillo, and she called for the brand to “repair the damage” to the communities. The brand told Reuters it was “surprised” the design was being sold, claiming they’d issued a directive to remove it from racks months ago. Ralph Lauren has pledged that all Indigenous-inspired designs following the summer 2023 season will be created with a model of “credit and collaboration.” “We are deeply sorry this happened and, as always, we are open to dialogue about how we can do better,” the brand said in a statement. It’s not clear yet what steps the brand plans to take or how their “credit and collaboration” model will look in practice.