Full Circle Moment: Ralph Lauren Taps Polo G to Help Launch New ‘Fortnite’ Collection
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Ralph Lauren may be best-known for its polo shirts, but the fashion brand tapped a different Polo last week for the launch of a first-of-its-kind partnership with the global online game Fortnite, continuing the company’s commitment towards exploration of the Metaverse.
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Rapper Polo G was in New York to help unveil Ralph Lauren’s all-new Fortnite capsule collection, which reimagines the brand’s iconic Polo Pony within the world of Fortnite as the Polo Llama.
The unisex shirt is the first time in Ralph Lauren’s 55-year history that the iconic polo logo has been redesigned. The partnership will also include an exclusive digital apparel and accessories collection inside the Fortnite Item Shop, and Ralph Lauren will co-host a player tournament.
Ralph Lauren x Fortnite Polo
Polo G, meantime, was on hand to perform at a Twitch livestream party in support of the launch. “I have always been a fan [of Fortnite and Ralph Lauren],” the rapper told Rolling Stone at the event. “So when they reached out for the opportunity and also to perform, I jumped straight on it.”
Before Polo G went onto Twitch to perform tracks like “Fortnight,” Rapstar” and “Blackhearted,” Rolling Stone caught up with the Chicago rapper to talk about the new opportunity, what his Ralph Lauren collection would look like and how his latest single “Bag Talk” came together.
The livestream performance is highly anticipated. Is this your first time performing for one?
This is probably about my fifth time doing it. Cause you know during the beginning of Covid times we dealt with a lot of virtual shows.
With you having experience in doing both live shows and virtual, what would you say is the biggest difference?
The difference is just crowd energy. You know at a live show you work off the crowd but with something like this, you’re more mindful of your movement.
Being from Chicago, Ralph Lauren has always been part of our culture when it comes to fashion. Can you talk about your history of growing up and wearing Ralph Lauren and do you remember some of your first statement Polo pieces?
Yeah, I remember specifically in middle school, that’s when I really was on the Ralph Lauren way heavy. Everybody was really wearing that on the low end (neighborhood in Chicago). One of my favorite pieces as a kid was this orange and white striped Polo shirt that I had with the blue horse on it but the logo was bigger than the usual.
Polo Ralph Lauren x Fortnite Cap
Take me back to when you came up with the Polo moniker in your name. How did that end up happening?
That just came from me being a fan (of Ralph Lauren). That’s all I used to want or all I used to ask my mom for growing up. I have always been a big fan of the brand. Actually, the first place I ever called myself “Polo” on a social website was my Xbox game tagger and I really just let it carry on from there.
Full circle moment especially since the campaign is with Fortnite. I saw you went to the Ralph Lauren event a few weeks ago. What did you think of it?
It was fun. It was like really inspiring me to stay on the fashion wave. I really want to get into fashion the more I grow my influence or just grow a following and that was something that has really encouraged me to do so and just really want to be a part of the Ralph Lauren brand.
Did you meet anyone there, either for the first time or someone you knew prior?
I met Josué Thomas, the guy from the Gallery Department who runs that brand and that was pretty dope to just get insight from him and he was just telling me about his come up.
Ralph Lauren x Fortnite Collection
What would the ideal Polo G x Ralph Lauren collection look like?
I know Ralph Lauren is vintage themselves, but just going back to some of the older styles and looks from the Nineties, but fitted or oversized — either way you could go with it.
Moving to music, you dropped “Bag Talk” last week. How long have you had that record and what was your process of making that one? I know Southside and Tm88 produced that one.
I really made that song in like February this year. So coming almost like a year now but like I made that really finishing up the album. I did so many songs in back-to-back studio sessions within like a week span. So most of the songs that are on the project I did just in a few studio sessions with him (Southside). A song like “Bag Talk” came from me coming back from my birthday trip and coming back home from vacation and locking back in.
You hopped on PGF Nuk’s “Waddup,” got the streets and Chicago going crazy, how did that come together?
It came really organically. I’m a fan of PGF Nuk. Like I was a fan of his before I hopped on his song I knew the whole “What Up” song before I was featured on it front to back so it was pretty simple and easy for me to just do my thing on it.
Then lastly, you have accomplished so much so early on in your career already — what are some of your next steps?
The next step in my career is just winning. Being consistent and winning. Giving my fans one of the best discographies ever of the newer generation and just being the best version of me.
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