Tokyo’s Polofest Is a Vintage Polo Ralph Lauren Collector’s Dream

Japan has long had a thing for vintage Americana — so much so that it’s pretty much birthed an entire sprawling genre on its own nicknamed Ametora — a portmanteau of “American traditional”, or basically, Japan’s reinterpretation of garments worn by American Ivy League College students in the mid-20th century.

The fascination goes back to the 1960s, when Japanese label VAN Jacket helped popularise Ivy League style among the youth of the period, with the photo book Take Ivy becoming a reference point for generations of enthusiasts. Ralph Lauren arrived in Japan in 1976, bringing its own romanticised vision of American style into the culture. With its rugby shirts, chinos, preppy knits and all-American sporting references, Polo was practically made for this crowd.

And while the brand has since become a global fashion fixture, Japan’s relationship with Polo goes beyond simply buying into the look. Collectors have spent decades digging up pieces from past seasons, building wardrobes around particular eras and treating well-worn garments as things worth preserving, repairing and passing on. Some vintage pieces have become highly sought-after in their own right.

Which makes Tokyo a pretty fitting place for the inaugural edition of Polofest, a new series of global gatherings celebrating the communities, influences and creative interpretations that have shaped the world of Polo.

The Japanese city gets the first instalment, with a three-day takeover at Jing Harajuku from October 23 to 25, bringing together vintage dealers from Japan and overseas, alongside an exhibition of rare archival pieces, talks and one-off upcycled garments reworked by Japanese artisans.

For the vintage-minded, the marketplace is probably the main draw. Participating dealers include New York’s Procell and Thoroughbred NY, as well as Japanese specialists such as Safari, Chunk and Youth Vintage. Whether you’re hunting for a particular grail or just enjoy the sport of rummaging through racks, it’s a chance to see what happens when a brand’s back catalogue becomes a collecting obsession.

There’s more to browse beyond the clothes, too. The archival exhibition traces Polo’s history, while the reworked pieces put a local spin on the idea of keeping garments in circulation rather than letting them gather dust. In other words, this isn’t just about looking back at Ralph Lauren’s greatest hits, but getting a glimpse of the people who continue to give them a life of their own.

Polofest runs from October 23 to 25 at Jing Harajuku, 6 Chome-35-6 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001. Admission is free, with tickets available through Ralph Lauren’s LINE membership community. More details here