Is it time to tell a new American story?
For decades, the American Dream promised opportunity and upward mobility. In recent years, however, that narrative has been complicated by the increasing visibility of extreme wealth concentration and a lack of opportunities for young people.
“The reason America was so impressive for so long is because it represented concentrated human achievement,” continues Andjelic. “First to put a human on the moon. First to create the internet. First, first, first.” American success stories often transcended national identity altogether, she explains, with Hollywood and pop music becoming global forces for telling stories that felt universally human.
The risk today, Andjelic argues, is that America’s elite, including the president, are pushing darker narratives of global domination. “We’re going to take Greenland. We’re going to expel immigrants. Those are human stories too, but they’re villain stories,” she says. The contrast with earlier cultural eras is damning.
Still, the performance of some of America’s strongest brands suggests the story is far from over. If the past few years have demonstrated anything, it’s that Americanism remains a powerful cultural asset when grounded in heritage rather than headlines.
The clearest example is Ralph Lauren, whose full-year revenue has climbed to $8.11 billion, a 12% year-on-year increase, in a moment when parts of the European luxury sector have slowed. Andjelic argues that Ralph Lauren’s enduring appeal lies in the way the brand has come to embody multiple strands of the American identity, from East Coast prep and old-money aspiration to a more rugged vision of the frontier, denim, and the cowboy. “He is the only American designer to hold both of those under one umbrella,” she says. “The brands that are doing well are the ones with deep roots and actual heritage.”
Jay Choyce Tibbitts, a fashion commentator and strategist, points out that the brand has seen major growth, particularly in markets like Europe and China, where it grew 18% and 31%, respectively, in Q4. “Consumers are buying into the idea of America. Non-American brands do this, too. Burberry flattens and packages a romanticized version of Britishness and Celine sells a distinctly French sense of cool-girl style,” she explains. “American consumers buy into these exaggerated cultural identities in the same way international consumers buy into brands like Ralph Lauren.”
Ralph Lauren’s SS27 menswear collection.
Photo: Isidore Montag/ Gorunway.com
