Mitch Robertom for the Polo Ralph Lauren x Element Skateboards Collaboration
All photos by Jake McCann.
An unlikely pairing and yet it makes so much sense.
Polo Ralph Lauren has collaborated with Element Skateboards to release a limited edition capsule collection that celebrates both brands' shared love for the great outdoors.
Based on community, nature, skateboarding and timeless style the collection grabs design inspiration from Ralph Lauren's iconic Fall 1982 womenswear collection which continued his exploration of the American prairie look. This is highlighted through the hand-knit sweaters that reflect beauty, stillness, nostalgia and the two brands' authentic connection to land and nature.
Connecting back to the soul of skateboarding the collection brings together the iconic brand image of Element with Polo Ralph Lauren’s timeless silhouettes and quality to create a collection visually rich with earth tones and apparel designed with an emphasis on utilitarian details. It is a range truly perfect for both enduring the streets and the elements. We at MC think it looks pretty cool too. The product range features a denim jacket, plaid shirt, chino pants, polo shirt, fleece sweatshirts and pants, printed tees, caps and hardgoods, including wheels and five different skate decks made from 100% North American maple hardwood and are built using Element’s seven-ply construction.
We brought Melbourne-based Element team rider Mitch Robertom up to Sydney to demonstrate how well the collection can endure the streets and caught him to have a chat about skateboarding, Element and the new collection.
This is the first thing you’ve done for Element since you got on the company earlier in the year. How did you end up getting on the team?
I was riding for Terminal Four and that was going awesome. Then it kind of slowed down, no fault to anyone, it just slowed down as things do. I loved it and I still do. I love Jake Duncombe, Steve Mcinnes and everyone that was behind it. I guess at that time it wasn’t going where I thought it was going. I ended up quitting. I was just buying boards and getting helped out by friends, I didn’t have a plan or any intentions of getting a new board sponsor. Rumours were going around and that sucked. People were like you’re doing this; I know you’re doing this because you’re skating those boards. I was happy just buying boards or getting them through the boys at Geelong Skate Shop, who have always helped me out.
Then I was on the way to Belco Bowl Jam and Vijay [Moody, Element Australia Team Manager] called me. I had no idea why he was calling me; I was hyped because I thought he was calling because he was coming to Belco. Then he told me he had just become the Element Team Manager and asked if I wanted boards. I was keen, I’ve always liked Element, it’s cool. You’ve got Nick Garcia on the team so that automatically makes it one of the coolest things. Vijay is one of my good friends, so it’s been really easy and it’s great working with him. He’s been working hard to get things going and so far, they have all been happening. He is doing some really cool stuff and we have some stuff coming up that I’m keen for.
That’s awesome. What are the plans for the near future? Are you guys going to work on a video?
Yeah, I’m working on a part. The plan with it is loose right now, but I have a lot of footage that I’ve filmed with James James and Tony Woodward. Hopefully, for the part, we can get everyone on the team to have a trick or two in it. We’ve also spoken about going on a trip early next year.
That sounds great. Let’s talk about the Polo Ralph Lauren x Element collaboration that you were the model for, how was the shoot?
It was great! Everyone apart of it made it so cool. Jake McCann was the photographer and did such a good job, it was great working with him. I’ve only seen two of the photos he shot, and they are both sick. If that’s anything to go off, then it’s going to look cool. Everyone involved was on the same page with it all. It was rad.
That is perfect, what did the day look like?
I flew up to Sydney and spent the day skating around Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge. We met at the Polo Ralph Lauren store, and we went from there. We skated a couple of fun spots around that area, some wooden ledges near the water and a marble ledge that gaps out over the road by the Opera House, and I did a front noseslide on it. That spot was really cool.
That sounds like a good day.
It was great. I had a good time.
The collection came out looking really good, how were the clothes to skate in?
Sick! The collection is great. When I saw them, I was really into them. You can really see that Element have had a massive input into the design and when you wear the clothes you can feel how well-made they are, with the Polo Ralph Lauren quality. All the items fit perfectly. The hoodie, flannel and the T-shirt all fit me really well. The pants were the perfect amount of baggy. The sweater too is made so well, just wearing it you can tell how well it is made. It is so warm and comfortable.
Do you have a favourite item from the collection?
The flannel, for sure. I wear flannels a lot and this is so different to anyone I’ve ever worn. The quality of it is so good, it is so thick and doing its job so well at keeping you warm. I am also really pumped on the sweater. My wife and I have this thing where every year we buy a Christmas sweater and wear it on Christmas. When I saw it, I was like; this is perfect, I'm going to wear it on Christmas. Now, I have it. I'm like this thing is dope, I’m going to wear it heaps [laughs].
As skateboarders we are all obsessed with pants, the collection contains a pair of Polo Ralph Lauren chinos. How were they to skate in?
They are a great fit. They are loose and lightweight, but they’re thick. They don’t have the creases though like other thick chinos. They are almost like a Dickies pant if you wore them for them for two months. They are really comfortable and are perfect feeling straight away.
Oh, they sound perfect. Hopefully, you can get some footage in them for the new part.
For sure.
The Polo Ralph Lauren x Element Skateboards collection is available online and exclusively at The Polo Ralph Lauren store at The Rocks in Sydney.
