Twas the night before Christmas in the Ralph Lauren House,
All the clothes were ready for the fashion powerhouse,
Adorned with the Polo logo and the iconic bear,
But how did the bear even get there?
The Origins of the Teddy Bear
The story of Ralph Lauren’s iconic mascot begins with the origins of the Teddy Bear. Named after the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt, an avid hunter and conservationist, the president went on an unsuccessful bear hunt in 1902. After the hunt, a friend of the president tied a bear to a tree to allow the president to make the most of his outing. The president declined, rendering it “unsportsmanlike” and the rest is history. Shortly after the incident, the Washington Post immortalized Roosevelt’s compassion in a cartoon, and the Teddy Bear was born.
An ocean away, Margarette Steiff, a german designer and toymaker, created a mohair stuffed bear and named it 55PB. After the Post’s cartoon gained popularity, the name was quickly changed to the much catchier “Teddy.” Steiff became a world-renowned Teddy maker, and Teddy Bears would become collectors items for generations of people including Jerry Lauren, senior consultant, men’s design and brother to Ralph Lauren.
A Gift that Keeps on Giving
In 1990, Jerry’s colleagues gifted him a Steiff bear made in Jerry’s likeness, while a Western themed Teddy Bear was presented to Ralph. Upon seeing the gift, as Jerry remembers, Ralph proclaimed, “You know what? I’m preppy too.” From then on, every year the Lauren brothers received custom Steiff Bears, a tradition that stands to this day.
Like most work for the company, inspiration from Ralph’s personal life came to life in his designs – and the Teddy Bear was no different. In 1991, Ralph Lauren aired 200 Teddy Bears to their Madison Avenue flagship, and the stuffed toys sold out within the weekend. The next iteration of the icon would appear throughout Ralph Lauren’s catalog.
From there, the outfits the bear appeared in diversified. Just a year after release, Ralph Lauren released a variety of bears: An American Flag sweater, holiday sweater, ski outfits were all released shortly after the bear saw its first appearance in stores.
Steiff would continue their partnership with Ralph Lauren until 2001, ending with nineteen limited-edition teddy bears made with the same materials Lauren would make famous and dozens of different designs for their clothing.
The Polo Bear Today
In 2013, Ralph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet started the return of the iconic Teddy with her “Bring It Back” campaign, a push to return Ralph Lauren to producing their classic pieces. In 2019, Ralph Lauren hosted a vote on the Ralph Lauren App to establish a new bear, ushering in a new collegiate bear to Polar Bear legacy.
More recently, in 2021, the Polo Bear got the call up to the Major Leagues in a collaboration with Major League Baseball, and even began to appear on a variety of skate decks. No matter where the bear is seen, the logo is reminder that timeless charm and versatility will never go out of style.
It’s clear the Polo Bear is a bear of many hats,
From the US Open to Skateboards, he can do that,
A beloved character, never to leave fashion’s sight,
And with that, Merry Christmas, and to all a good night
