There was the momentous occasion when friends of The Rake and Ralph Lauren congregated in the brand’s New
Bond Street store to celebrate their 10th and 50th anniversaries. However, the celebrations for these mileposts
didn’t stop there, with Ralph Lauren selecting 10 of his favourite ties from the earliest years of his brand to
create a limited edition collector’s set, which was sold exclusively on TheRake.com. The fact it was ties was
particularly poignant. Ralph’s very first steps in the fashion industry in the mid-60s was initiated through his
passion for handmade ties, where he began designing them at Rivet in New York. About his early tie escapade, Ralph
said: "At the time, everyone was making thin ties from dull fabrics, but I wanted to make handmade ties that were
wider and expressed more, ties that I imagined a hero from one of my favourite movies would wear, ties that told a
story and made you feel you were a part of that story. I thought of the name Polo, because of the glamour and
elegance the sport evokes. I didn’t know it at the time but the ties would be the genesis of my brand.” In light of
these ties being a collector's set of 10, only 67 sets were made. They were presented in a beautiful fold-up suede
case with a leather buckle fastener. They included a patchwork tie, heraldic club tie, wool tartan tie, fox hunt
challis tie, gamebird challis tie, ancient madder equestrian tie, ancient madder paisley tie, tapestry jacquard tie,
polo player tie, and gamebird jacquard tie. The heritage and details of which were described in a booklet contained
within the case.
In 2019 the inimitable Polo Bear made his first appearance on the dials of three charming watches. Post launch, Wei
Koh secretly harboured a dream of a Rake Bear timepiece. After finally summoning the courage to request it, Wei was
overjoyed to learn that Mr. Lauren had given his personal assent in recognition of the launch of the new Ralph
Lauren Polo watch collection. Cultural events had already dictated the rapid rise of the Negroni, but what it didn’t
foresee is its spiritual role in lifting us out of the dark times that we found ourselves in. With this in mind the
idea of creating The Rake x Ralph Lauren ‘Negroni Bear’ Polo Bear watch was put into action. It reinterpreted the
iconic Polo Bear motif on the watch with a Tuxedo Bear holding a Negroni. And to incorporate some mild old humour
the dial of the watch featured hands as well as the 5 o’clock index in distinct Negroni orange. Why the number five?
Well, because it is always 5 o’clock somewhere…
The watch proved extremely popular but as is the case with the Ralph Lauren Polo Bear he doesn’t like to appear in a
single guise and be gone. He senses before anyone else what the people in this world are yearning for, and because
he was brought onto this earth as a source and symbol of optimism, he recognizes that people's aspirations for
freedom had become somewhat stunted. With this in mind, The Rake were given an incredible opportunity to
create a second Polo Bear watch with Ralph Lauren. The result is the Ralph Lauren for the Rake ‘Bearfoot Negroni
Bear’ watch. The reason it is named the ‘Bearfoot’ watch is that when travel resumes our ursine hero has decided to
go to The Maldives, where he would like to roam around barefoot resplendent in iconic black tie. It is after all a
style that Ralph Lauren himself is often seen perpetuating at his home in Round Hill, Jamaica — in his white dinner
jacket or cream suit, but with his feet bare.
When Wei proposed the idea to Ralph Lauren, it brought a chuckle in response. He replied, “So you want a barefoot
bear for your next watch?” Wei’s response was, “Mr. Lauren, somehow I can’t think of anything cooler. This is your
style: an effortless American mixture of dressed up and laid back. This is exactly how I imagine the Polo Bear to be
dressed in the Maldives for a romantic dinner.” The Maldives is also where The Rake has set up its first
brick-and-mortar shop, ensconced on an eco-system of four sister islands that comprise three hotels (the Ritz
Carlton, Capella and Patina). But back to the watch, it is limited to 200 pieces and comes with two straps in both a
navy blue calf leather and navy blue nylon strap. Additionally, as a separate purchase you can find the Bearfoot
Negroni Polo Bear embroidered on a white cotton polo shirt and navy swim shorts, which of course would be an iconic
and unique investment.
We hope The Rake’s ‘Bearfoot Negroni Bear’ achieves his one defining mission in life. Which is to put a huge smile on
the face of each and every one of his owners this year as we celebrate all the promise 2021 has to offer.
