Immediately recognizable from the strong geometric designs in inventive palettes of earthy tones and vibrant hues, the Beacon print is as at home in a holiday escape to the mountains as it is in the city.

The story of the Beacon print is as colorful as the print itself. Originating among Pueblo tribes in the American Southwest, it was perfected centuries later by the neighboring Navajo, whose artisans developed a worldwide reputation for their intricate tapestries and unsurpassed craftsmanship. As global expansion and industrial advances opened the textile trade, artisans began adding Asian, European and South American motifs until the patterns so beloved today reflect not only Native American principles but also a pastiche of international design.

For Holiday 2011, Ralph Lauren balances the print’s inherent rusticity and nonchalant elegance with sleek metropolitan glamour. Brilliant red diamonds punctuating terraces of black and white are rendered in luxurious wool, lending textural harmony to both shearling and Art Deco accents.