FSF Ralph Lauren x BAB
FSF Ralph Lauren x BAB
the ask
Choose a fashion brand and a non-fashion brand to collaborate and create a collaborative product, proving that the collaboration is possible.
Skills used
In-depth research
Adobe Express/Graphic design
Market Research
Assortment Planning
Buying Strategy
Collaboration
process
When I first started this project, I chose my case study by choosing one of my favorite brands (Ralph Lauren) and thinking about their iconic symbol, the Polo bear, and that’s when I decided to collab RL with Build-A-Bear Workshop, I especially wanted to choose this collab because of the nostalgia trend we see happening in fashion. The FSF Case Study involved months of in-depth research that developed my knowledge of researching brands, getting familiar with merchandising strategies, and challenged my time management skills. I got familiar with Adobe Express and learned new things on the software from this project. Also, I spent time outside of normal hours collaborating with peers who have went through FSF and got valuable feedback that helped me through this process. The images below capture the overall research and process for this FSF project.
I began to think about why this collaboration would work and how to sell this idea to my audience. I started thinking more and more about nostalgia and the psychological aspect of how consumers think. This led me into thinking about collectors and people who enjoy collecting types of collaborations and collections such as this. So then I broke down the 4 different types of consumer personas I can see buying this bear.
outcome
Although I didn’t win this particular year, participating in the 2026 Fashion Scholarship Fund Merchandising Case Study allowed me to expand my skills in graphic design, merchandising, branding, and more. I learned from things I could’ve done better and will take those things into consideration when I apply for this year’s Fashion Scholarship Fund Case Study. I’d say one of my biggest weaknesses was that Build-a-Bear is technically still considered a “fashion brand",” although it is also a toy brand — I believe the judges were looking for true non-fashion brands.
