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Ensemble

Designer Ralph Lauren American

Not on view

NOSTALGIA 1. A wistful or sentimental yearning for a return to or the return of some real or romanticized period of the past:

For his autumn/winter 1982–83 collection, Ralph Lauren referenced American folk art and crafts. Nineteenth-century needlework samplers, which often featured the letters of the alphabet and the motif of the home, inspired the design of this hand-knit sweater. Lauren’s use of antique patchwork quilts to construct the accompanying skirt reflects his appreciation for handwork. Speaking to a journalist in 1982 Lauren said, "Folk art, for me, represents the integrity that is America."

Ensemble, Ralph Lauren (American, born 1939), Cotton, linen, wool

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