PoloFest is a celebration of the culture, community, and collectors who have made Polo Ralph Lauren their own. Over three days this autumn in Tokyo, the event will bring together creative voices and artisans from around the world through a vintage marketplace, curated exhibition, and live conversations. We chose Tokyo as the first home of PoloFest because Japan has long been one of Polo’s most passionate and imaginative communities.
Since 1976, when Ralph Lauren first arrived in the country, Japanese enthusiasts have developed a distinctive expression of Polo style, shaped by a mutual appreciation for authenticity, beautifully worn and repaired objects, collegiate tradition, English tailoring, and classic Americana. PoloFest Tokyo takes a special look at this unique and ongoing exchange.
CULTURE / COMMUNITY / COLLECTING / CULTURE / COMMUNITY / COLLECTING /
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From Tokyo to across the globe, vintage Ralph Lauren collectors gather for a market curated around four classic Polo sensibilities
Featured Collections
Thoroughbred New York
Through his store in Kingston, New York, Broadway actor–turned–vintage collector Laird Mackintosh sells one of the largest collections of vintage Polo tailoring in North America. A native of Calgary, Canada, Mackintosh worked in his hometown’s Polo store in the 1980s before embarking on an acting career that saw him play the Phantom of the Opera in the long-running show’s final performance in 2023.
Safari
Yoshihito Murayama, a lifelong Polo enthusiast who has worn and lived with the brand for more than 30 years - displays treasures ranging from Western-inspired hand-knits to rare Polo Country outerwear at his Kōenji, Tokyo, shop, which constitutes one of the largest vintage Polo archives in Japan. The inspiration for the store’s name comes from a rare 1989 travelogue written by Ricky Lauren about her experiences in Africa, of which Murayama owns an original copy.
Vintage Grace
Raised on a cattle ranch in Colorado and now working out of a showroom in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, Chandler Guttersen has an expert eye for designer vintage that spans the full world of Ralph’s sensibilities. Founded in 2021, Vintage Grace has since won acclaim in fashion magazines and earned a reputation as an industry-insider favourite.
Reflex
Dedicated to his lifelong admiration of the brand, Tez Saito, a former Ralph Lauren employee, has spent four decades amassing a collection of exceptional Ralph Lauren heirlooms and heritage pieces. His unique collection lives within his Tokyo, Japan–based store, Reflex, which has become a revered destination among collectors worldwide.
Global Collectors
Millennial Decorator
Los Angeles–based Julia Rabinowitsch is a vintage fashion collector and curator known for her distinctive visual lens and notable curations in the vintage space. Through her Substack and Instagram, she shares her discoveries with a dedicated audience.
Procell
Procell is a destination boutique in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City, run by founders Brian Procell and Jessica Gonsalves, that carries a unique mix of vintage streetwear, sportswear, and designer ready to wear, including some of the hardest-to-find Polo pieces.
Whistler/Chart
Hideyuki Yumikura’s twin stores in Kōenji, Tokyo, are famous for their vast, meticulously organised collections of vintage wares, with Whistler specialising in “trad” clothing while Chart carries more casual goods.
Vault Up
VAULT UP, a select shop in Chigasaki, Kanagawa, owned by Kazutaka Yadomoto, specialises in Ralph Lauren. With a particularly strong offering of Polo Sport, the shop curates a broad range of styles spanning streetwear, classic American casual (“Amekaji”), and contemporary city style.
F as in Frank
Brothers Jesse and Drew Heifetz operate F as in Frank in Vancouver and Toronto, whose inventory of vintage Polo Sport and Polo Country pieces is among the largest in North America.
Big Apple Store
Ryunosuke Matsushita opened his Yutenji, Tokyo, store in 2024 and quickly gained attention for his discerning selection of Polo pieces, ranging from rare archival finds to well-chosen everyday classics.
Metropolis Vintage
Richard Colligan began selling vintage at flea markets in the 1980s before opening his Manhattan store in 1990, which features an entire “department” dedicated to Polo.
The Polo Archive
Through his Instagram, London-based Albie Robert has built a substantial following documenting some of the most desired Polo pieces from the 1960s and beyond.
Nero
Owner Raiya Sato’s eagle eye for vintage Polo is on display at his compact Tokyo shop, which carries everything from rare knits to children’s clothing.
Youth Vintage
Takahiro Arai has built one of Yokohama’s premier destinations for vintage Ralph Lauren, with a collection encompassing everything from Polo to Chaps to RLX, with a focus on made-in-USA pieces.
Chunk
Located in Ushiku, Daiki Takahashi has assembled an enormous inventory of vintage Ralph Lauren spanning the men’s, women’s, and children’s collections, with a sensibility for outdoor wear and timeless American style.
Row
Owner Tatsuro Sugihara has assembled an eclectic inventory of ’80s and ’90s Polo, Polo Sport, and Double RL at his Osaka store, with a particular eye for bold graphics and styles tied to skate culture.
Tartan Vintage
Husband-and-wife team Cosimo Ciampolini and Valentina Fiaschi opened their Florence shop as a tribute to English style and all things tweed, and have since expanded its scope to include more rugged items like Westernwear and leather jackets.
“I’m not designing clothes. I’m creating a world.”
PROGRAMMING
Curated Exhibition
Vintage Market
Traditional Artisans
Speaker Series
Limited-Edition Collectibles
Ralph’s Coffee
For five decades, Japan has loved Polo - reworking, repairing, and reimagining the brand into something entirely its own. This October, that fan history and community becomes the subject of a special event.
PoloFest Tokyo opens with an immersive exhibition tracing this cultural exchange between Polo and Japan, alongside an expertly curated vintage market featuring renowned Japanese and global collectors -- each spotlighting an iconic era of the brand’s history, from our love of haberdashery and tailoring to outdoor workwear and graphic, sport-inspired streetwear.
Details on the full programme, including additional speakers and special guests, will be revealed in the weeks ahead.
Polo Ralph Lauren first arrived in Japan in 1976 through a partnership with Seibu, opening a shop in the flagship Ikebukuro location of the department store - then one of Japan’s most influential retailers, known for its progressive approach to fashion and culture.
A Polo fashion show, held at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, marked the occasion and left a lasting impression: Editors and journalists were struck by the collection’s relaxed, sporting sensibility and unexpected combinations. One look paired English-inspired tailoring with hiking boots, an early expression of what would become a Polo hallmark: the juxtaposition of tradition and informality.
