RRL x Zefren-M Hand-Knit Cardigan

Presenting the Double RL x Zefren-M capsule, the second collaboration of the Ralph Lauren Artist in Residence program, reflecting our evolved design approach with the artisans and communities that inspire us. The capsule celebrates and honors Navajo tradition, craft, and culture with designs that merge the old and new. Zefren-M is a multidisciplinary artist, historian, and LGBTQIA+ advocate from the Navajo Nation whose work blends ancient techniques with forward-thinking technology to tell the story of the Navajo (Diné) people. To create this wool-and-linen cardigan, a custom palette of hand-spun yarn colors was developed to reflect the landscape of Navajo Nation, the topography of which is expressed by Zefren-M through variations in pattern and scale. A scholar in traditional silversmithing, Zefren-M also designed a series of stamped concho button motifs inspired by the Spider Woman deity, who is the creator and teacher of the weaving tradition in Navajo culture. It is hand-knit in collaboration with Manos del Uruguay, a nonprofit collective of rural artisan women that promotes social and economic development.