
Enthusiasm for the noble sport of
polo and the luxurious lifestyle it entails has never been more in evidence. It seems the economic downturn has done little to dampen it, perhaps because polo's roots are so steeped in class and tradition. Over the past several months we saw Veuve Clicquot stage the
first polo match in New York City in over 70 years;
St. Regis inaugurate a
major new International Polo Cup; the
Snow Polo championships take place in Aspen and
St. Moritz; and the first Desert Palm Nations
Polo Cup in Dubai. Polo player Johnny Lynn (above) saw it all coming. In 2001 he founded
Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand, made for polo players by polo players, and now he's opening up branches all over the world.
Lynn, a Canadian-born former financier who plays polo internationally and teaches as well, conceived of Polistas to outfit polo teams with high quality clothing and accessories both for playing in and for après polo. An immediate success, polo and
equestrian enthusiasts of all stripes soon gravitated to his flagship store in London's famed
Burlington Arcade. The name Polistas is Argentine slang for "polo players" and it is the classic Argentinian polo lifestyle - rugged, laid-back and timeless - that comes through in Polistas' products and attitude. For the past six years Polistas has had a major presence at
Harrods and other high-end boutiques worldwide, and has been selected as the official supplier to several major tournaments, including the
Veuve Clicquot British Open Gold Cup, The Hildon Queen's Cup, and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the UK.