Meet James Jeter, Polo Ralph Lauren's First Black Creative Director

As the glitz and glam of New York Fashion Week was approaching, Ralph Lauren announced James Jeter as the first Black Creative Director of Design & Brand Direction for Men’s Polo. Having spent his entire career with the brand, James started at the age of 16 working at the Rugby store in Georgetown, gradually rising the corporate ladder from being an intern to a design associate.

In March 2022, James launched his capsule collection, a project born out of the significant events in 2020, including the deaths of black men and women and the ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests. During a company conversation on racial reconciliation with  Ralph Lauren, James raised a critical question: “Was the company going to remain all-white?”. 

As a 2013 alumnus of Morehouse College, he became the lead designer of the Morehouse and Spelman Colleges Collection by Polo Ralph Lauren. The collegiate-inspired line drew inspiration from the schools’ yearbooks from the 1920s to 1950s and formed the foundation for the entire collection. James aimed to challenge the brand’s traditionally Ivy League and white American image by featuring an all-black cast and highlighting the fashion and culture alive at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including his own alma mater. 

“I began creating these visual presentations and had conversations with Ralph around ideas that I thought could expand the narrative around … how [the company] has shaped collegiate style,” James told BoF. 

We're looking forward to see Jeter's influence in Polo Ralph Lauren!

Article by Syra Victoria G. Garcia