PRL x Gee’s Bend Polo Play Tote

Polo Ralph Lauren proudly presents a new collection from our Artist in Residence program, reflecting an evolved design approach shaped by the artisans and communities that inspire us. Honoring the joyful reclamation of Freedom Quilting, this collaboration features the work of Gee’s Bend textile artist Claudia Pettway Charley. A fourth‑generation quilter, Claudia played beneath her grandmother’s quilting frame as a child, absorbing the techniques and traditions that would later inform her pieces. As part of Gee’s Bend, the historic multigenerational artist collective in Boykin, Alabama, Claudia allows available fabrics to guide her designs, working without sketches or strict plans. This intuitive approach reflects her belief that Gee’s Bend artistry is inherently freeform, resulting in compositions that feel deeply personal and connected to community. Made in America from imported and domestic fabrics, this handbag features handcrafted cotton blocks which celebrate the visual storytelling of African American textile arts. Denim, a defining material throughout this collection, reflects the work and daily life of the Gee’s Bend artist community while expressing shared memory, resilience, and strength. For Claudia, quilting tells a story lead by instinct, with each section responding to the one before it. Her style blends traditional patterns with elements of abstraction, grounded in emotion and shaped by her sense of place.