As the Editor-in-Chief of Ralph Lauren Magazine, I oversaw all content and site strategy while managing a team of in-house and freelance writers, designers, and developers. As an Editorial Director for Special Projects across the Ralph Lauren brand, I served as the lead editor for a range of cross-platform, brand-wide, omni-channel storytelling initiatives across app, social, runway, in-store, rental program, email, and print collateral.

 
 

 A WALK TO REMEMBER

WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, THE COUNTRY, OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO EMBRACE THE RESTORATIVE POWER OF A LONG WALK

by Antonina Jedrzejczak

Through the weeks we’ve spent in quarantine, the simple act of walking has earned a new place in our psyche and our hearts. The news has brought stories of many pedestrian travelers. There’s the Ferndale T-Rex Walking Club, a group of mavericks who dress up in inflatable animal costumes and parade en masse down Michigan streets to cheer up their neighbors. In Wales, a lively herd of wild goats has been spotted taking group strolls single file down the narrow sidewalks of Llandudno. In Spain, small acts of stay-at-home defiance have witnessed people walking their “pet” hens, toy dogs, and goldfish (still in their bowls). And perhaps most memorable, there’s the story of Captain Tom Moore, a 100-year-old World War II veteran who raised the highest sum ever for a charity walk—more than $36 million—while rounding 100 laps in his garden.

In our own private worlds, outings on foot have similarly taken on new intentionality and importance. We make our pilgrimages to each other’s front doors and talk to friends and neighbors across the expanses of sidewalks and yards. Walking the dog has become a ritual anxiously anticipated by owners and canines alike, as have tours of city parks or strolls through the woods, for those lucky enough to have them nearby. What we once rushed through has reestablished a primitive pull in our quest to keep clearheaded and optimistic.

So what is it about the allure of the walk—the most commonplace of movements—that somehow moves us so much, literally and figuratively speaking?

There's the science. You’d be hard-pressed to find an ailment—from stress to strokes, dementia to depression—that a power walk doesn’t combat against. Quite practically, the impact of feet hitting pavement (or dirt) increases blood flow to the brain and triggers a chain reaction of feel-good waves through our bodies—a much-needed boost for times like these.

But if you ask history, one of the earliest answers remains the most enduring. Solvitur ambulando. A Latin phrase attributed to the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic, it translates to “it is solved by walking.” No shortage of notable figures—from Charles Dickens to Ernest Hemingway and the philosopher Kierkegaard—who famously said, “I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it”—have attested to its enduring truth.

There’s no one way to walk, but one way the best of walks makes us feel. As planned or impromptu as you want yours to be, toward something or away from it, solo or as a group, with a map or without—the unique pleasure of getting lost to get found again—a restorative outing hinges on being present in our steps.

Rural, wild strolls are the pastoral ideal. The epitome of meditative solitude, a walk across a meadow or forest is about rediscovering both the pleasures of nature and the fortitude inside of us. As Henry David Thoreau put it in his seminal essay “Walking”: “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least—and it is commonly more than that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields.” But don’t let that deter you from daily urban ventures if you’re trapped in Manhattan or Milan. For proof that a concrete sidewalk can offer much to be discovered (in our cities and our souls), just look to kinhin, the ancient Buddhist practice of walking meditation.

In contrast to zazen’s sitting meditation, kinhin is about aligning your breathing with the movement of your legs. Mastered, it’s a mental tool like few others, but its roots lie simply in walking clockwise in a room.

And when intentionality rather than a cardinal direction is propelling you up and out, there’s no need to decide on a destination (and if you happen to be a member of the Barefoot Hikers of Connecticut or the likes, on a pair of shoes either). Just step out and start your journey. A new path or a well-trodden one both offer the chance to reaffirm the simple fact that the world never stands still, nor was it ever meant to. Even a place that you’ve passed a thousand times ventured into again will show you new treasures. To hike, stroll, or meander is to accept that fact and find joy in it. With the world in a holding pattern new to us all, now is the time to let walking turn you into a detective—a bird-watcher, animal tracker, flower lover, deep breather, chestnut collector, and celebrator of the here and now—forever grateful for the chance to stay grounded.

 
 

How Does YOur GARDEN GROW?

GET INSPIRED BY THE VICTORY GARDENS OF YORE—AND GET GROWING

by Antonina Jedrzejczak

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow,” Audrey Hepburn once said. It’s no surprise then that the first man-made gardens can be traced back to prehistoric times, with our dedication to sowing and tilling the land celebrated in Egyptian tomb paintings, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the famous lush groves of Plato’s Academy.

In the Middle Ages, monasteries kept gardens as much for a food source as for medical purposes. And during both world wars, governments across Europe and the United States called on their citizens to supplement rations (and boost spirits in the process), by planting fruits, vegetables, and herbs across all manner of private and public land. From parks to rooftops, fields, and schoolyards, 20 million victory gardens, as they came to be known, became the source of 40 percent of America’s fresh produce at the height of the war effort.

Be it gardening’s meditative nature or the simple joy of watching a humble seed sprout into a leafy crop, there’s just something enduringly transformative about getting your hands dirty. And at a moment when so much is out of our control—from our tight quarters to our fractured daily routines—the small act of gardening can offer a space for solace and calm. With the spring days stretching out ahead of us, now’s the time to pick up a spade, grab some seeds (and your cohabitants in quarantine), and get growing.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned green thumb, lucky enough to have a patch of yard or working with a window box (or a fire escape, as some seriously impressive victory gardens proved possible in decades gone by), be sure to plan and plant at a scale that won’t overwhelm you.

Above all else, the idea is to have a good time, not stress over seed rotation. Three or four crops is more than enough (keep in mind that plants need space and daily upkeep). There are plenty of great YouTube tutorials out there to give you a crash course in how to set up your plot, whether you’re working with old milk crates, flowerpots, or an actual backyard. Basic tools—think gloves, shears, a trowel, and a fork—are all you need. And if your arsenal is not complete, now’s the time to get creative with what’s around the house (that chintzy coffeepot can make for a spot-on watering can).

If you don’t have seeds at the ready, don’t worry. Many nurseries and hardware stores nationwide, as essential businesses, have remained open and offer no-contact pickups. There are also plenty of ways to order online, and, for the most impatient among us, a fair share of fruits and vegetables that can be grown from their own seeds or scraps. True beginners can always consider picking up transplants, which will yield easier and more reliable results. And as simple as it sounds, make sure to plant things that you and your family will actually enjoy eating, keeping in mind that depending on your weather forecast, some will need to be started at home and moved outdoors when the ground loses its last frost.

Once in the soil, among the quickest to mature (you’ll start being able to harvest and enjoy about a month after planting) are green onions, radishes, baby spinach, and lettuce. Herbs like basil can get going in a glass of water on a sunny countertop and be planted in the earth once roots develop. Similarly, potato pieces (as long as they have one eye sprout), ginger scraps, and pepper seeds will all easily flourish into full-grown beauties. As for universal tips for outdoor success? Use compost if you can, research each plant’s needs, be diligent with your watering, and remember to pick a sun-soaked spot. Planting flowers with your edibles will attract insects happy to enrich your soil while making your space that much more lovely to look at.

In keeping with the tradition of gardens that have spanned both the globe and human history, take pride in making yours a communal affair. Now is a great time to teach your kids how to plant something and give it the space and time it needs to grow. A crop with everyone pitching in will taste that much better when it’s ready to eat, not to mention bring a bit of victory spirit to the tough times we’re all riding out together. Shared with family or delivered to your neighbor’s stoop, consider it nature’s welcome reminder that though exactly how our gardens bloom is ultimately out of our control, it’s certainly not out of our hands.