As the legend has it, one year at his annual yachting birthday party Ralph Lauren received a teddy bear in his likeness, dressed ears to paw in miniature Ralph Lauren garb. He was so charmed by this gift, instantly smitten, and it looked so much like him that he decided to produce a line of miniature teddy bears for sale to discerning customers looking for a stylish cuddle. These furry Ralph Lauren surrogates soon proved to be incredibly popular with adults and children alike. Who among us was a Polo bear baby?
Demand grew and it was soon clear that this was simply not enough. Lauren knew he had to up the ante and 1991 found RL debuting his latest creation – sweaters proudly emblazoned with his beloved bear, soon to be christened the POLO BEAR.  The public was overjoyed and snatched them up in all forms. The bear was a true style icon and was depicted in all manner of guises, dressed as a doctor, lawyer, fireman, you name it. Everyone loved the bear icon, but possibly the greatest supporters of all time was a legendary Brooklyn street gang named The Lo-Lives – as in “PoLO-LIVES” – who ONLY wore the most rare of Ralph Lauren Polo Bear items they could find. METROPOLIS VINTAGE has just acquired a serious amount of prized POLO RALPH LAUREN items of a variety of styles, some with the Polo Bear, some not, but all have that refined style known and prized by Ralph Lauren aficionados from the yachts to the streets and back again.
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About metropolisvintage
Metropolis is a shop located at 803 Broadway in Manhattan. We started selling vintage clothing in flea markets back in 1984 in SOHO - a time when downtown seemed like the center of the world, when street artists were pushing their way to the top and cutoff jeans were high fashion. We took hold of a set of keys and opened our first store on Ave B and 6th Street on Feb 1, 1990. Just like the East Village, we have changed over the last 34 years and now reside on Broadway just south of Union Square, but still have the largest and best selection in New York. We do a lot of traveling to find our large collection and I hope you enjoy the clothing we have to offer here. If you're in NYC, please stop by to hang out in the shop and become our customer and friend. Nothing makes us feel better than seeing someone wearing a item purchased from us when we bump into them in a bar or club or show.
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About The Owner
My name is Richard Colligan. While freelancing at various advertising agencies throughout the city and graduating from Pratt Institute in1982, I sold clothes at several flea markets in NYC for extra money. Realizing an interest in fashion, but tired with the elements of outdoor retailing, I took my small business indoors to Avenue B & 10th St in 1990. At the time, fashion was all about "grunge" - the 501 Levi Jeans, flannel shirts, motorcycle jackets, overalls, and army surplus were selling like wildfire and Metropolis was the leading provider.
In 1995, I moved Metropolis to its current location of 3rd Ave & 10th St, which is conveniently situated in the heart of East Village, near St. Marks and many college dorms. Everyone from new college students to seasoned stylists would soon turn to Metropolis for their vintage fashion needs.
Finally, in 2019 we switched to our largest location yet - at 803 Broadway, just a few blocks south of Union Square. As Metropolis approaches it's 34 year anniversary, I hope everyone will come and check out our store, a staple of the NYC vintage community!
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