PRL x TÓPA Reflections of Above Pant

Introducing Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA, the newest collaboration of the Ralph Lauren Artist in Residence program, reflecting our evolved design approach with the artisans and communities that inspire us. This collection features the artistry of wife-and-husband duo Jocy and Trae Little Sky—founders of the clothing brand TÓPA and proud members of the Oceti Sakowin (People of Seven Council Fires); Jocy is of Dakota and Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations (MHA/Dakota), and Trae is Oglala Lakota and Stoney Nakoda. Their creations merge modern silhouettes with distinctive Indigenous cultural elements to honor and preserve ancestral traditions while reflecting the beauty and vibrancy of their Northern Plains heritage. The name TÓPA, meaning “four” in the languages of the Oceti Sakowin, symbolizes the four directions, four seasons, four stages of life, and four meaningful colors. Piece-dyed and stone-washed, these carpenter pants unite utilitarian style with meticulous embellishments throughout. Representing balance between the earth, the sky, and oneself, an embroidered reflection motif accents the back left pocket as a sign of protection and good energy, while hand-beaded four-directional stars join embroidered diamonds to represent trails on the land. They are finished with a decorative hand-beaded border at the back right pocket and tack work along both legs, upholding a Northern Plains cultural ethos in which time-intensive handwork expresses love, affection, and appreciation.