Home sewn into fabric: A reflection on Ralph Lauren’s tribute to Black Oak Bluffs

Oak Bluffs is more than a picturesque summer retreat — it’s a living, breathing monument to Black excellence. For generations, this town on Martha’s Vineyard has offered a rare sanctuary for African American families to gather, restore, and thrive. From the time of segregation to the present day, Oak Bluffs has held space for Black joy, dignity, and community — a story long known to those who call it home, and one now reflected on a global stage.

With its latest release, Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, the iconic American fashion house honors this legacy in a deeply intentional way. In collaboration with Morehouse and Spelman alumni designers, Ralph Lauren has crafted a collection that celebrates the spirit of Black Oak Bluffs — one rooted in history, family, and cultural pride. From collegiate knits to mariner-striped polos, each garment nods to a tradition of quiet luxury and generational resilience.

As someone raised in a third-generation Vineyard family, this tribute for me is more than a campaign — it’s personal. Long before the world began to take notice of Oak Bluffs, this community shaped me. Summers here were stitched with salt air, ferry horns, and the vibrant chorus of Black families in motion. I launched my fashion brand bySharisse with this shoreline in my bones. The architecture, the rhythm of the ferry, the familiar cadence of porch conversations — these are not just symbols, but memories. And to see that heritage represented through Ralph Lauren’s lens stirred something ancestral in me.

What moved me most was not just the aesthetic beauty of the collection, but the integrity behind it. Polo Ralph Lauren didn’t simply borrow from Oak Bluffs’ culture — it partnered with it. It collaborated with the Cottagers, Inc., a group of Black women homeowners who have safeguarded Oak Bluffs’ legacy since 1956. It pledged support to the United Negro College Fund, and produced a companion documentary, “A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs,” premiering at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. The collection tells a story — and the film ensures that story is archived.

The campaign imagery felt like a family reunion: Multigenerational models posed on porches, wrapped in textures that whisper history and resilience. Even the smallest details — buttons, embroidery, hemstitching — felt reverent. As a designer and a daughter of this place, it was emotional to witness.

This cultural moment also arrives on the heels of Legacy Week (July 27–August 2), our annual celebration of HBCU families and alumni. Created to honor the value of historically Black institutions, Legacy Week brings together curated experiences like beachside yoga, author talks, intergenerational picnics, and storytelling panels — all grounded in love and cultural pride. To see Ralph Lauren’s collection released just as our community convenes for this celebration felt like divine timing: academic excellence, cultural celebration, and place-based fashion, all woven together.

As a Howard University MBA and the first Black writer to launch an editorial platform at The Martha’s Vineyard Times, I’ve long believed in the power of storytelling. That belief is what inspired “Voices bySharisse,” a column dedicated to amplifying Islanders of color and preserving our histories through the written word. I’ve interviewed elders, artists, nonprofit leaders, and visionaries who carry this Island’s oral history like sacred scripture. The goal has always been to elevate what has been too long overlooked.

And this collection, to me, is storytelling in fabric. It communicates identity without speaking a word. It says: We were always here. And now, the world sees us — on our own terms.

Oak Bluffs has always been a place where Blackness is seen in full color. Where legacy is passed down through porch swings and prayers, church hats and heirloom recipes. Ralph Lauren didn’t just dress this community — he dignified it.

Fashion is language. It tells the world who we are before we ever speak. For more than 15 years, I’ve designed clothing that blends bold West African prints, sustainable fabrics, and stories stitched with meaning. To see our community reflected in Ralph Lauren’s signature American style is an act of visibility and validation. It honors the fullness of our humanity.

This isn’t just fashion. It’s a cultural offering. It’s legacy sewn into every thread.

And for those of us shaped by this Island, it’s a powerful affirmation: Our stories matter. Our style matters. And we’ve always been worth celebrating.