Ralph Lauren partnered with L’Oreal in 1978 to release two debut fragrances, his and hers simultaneously, launched at Bloomingdale’s. “Polo” was woody, vigorous, and masculine where “Lauren” was soft, floral, feminine. This event would inaugurate decades of smash-hit scents for men and women , and an enormous slew of magazine advertisements torn out and pasted on teenage walls worldwide. From Ralph Lauren Blue, Polo Sport, Ralph for Women, Ralph Lauren’s fragrance campaigns, with their perfectly of-the-moment casting and youthful sex appeal set the tone for his and hers aesthetic aspirations. Perhaps advertising campaigns are just as closely linked to memory as scent.
Our collection of Lauren Ralph Lauren women’s clothing includes dresses, blazers, pants, jeans, shorts, tops, polos, swimwear, pj’s and more. Accessorize your look with Lauren Ralph Lauren pumps, espadrilles, sandals or sneakers and a quality Lauren Ralph Lauren handbag. In 1998 Lauren announced that his company would donate $13 million to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., mainly to preserve the original American flag that inspired the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1812. That same year he was honored for his efforts to raise money for research into a cure for breast cancer.
The company directly operates 548 retail stores and 650 concession-based shop-within-shops; and operates 139 Ralph Lauren stores, and 143 Club Monaco stores and shops through licensing partners. Ralph Lauren Corporation was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Ralph Lauren is an American luxury brand that offers classic apparel and accessories for men, women and children.
Lauren started the business in 1967 in a tiny office at the Empire State building. His first breakthrough came when Neiman Marcus ordered 1,200 ties. His cars have won “Best in Show” at the prestigious Pebble Beach Polo Ralph Lauren t shirt Concours d’Elegance twice, his 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic won in 1990 and his 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi” roadster won in 1993. In 2005 his collection was displayed at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
The brand became a staple of the preppy style popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Discover the collection of Lauren by Ralph Lauren for women for a preppy American cool style. Choose from a range of structured blazers, straight leg jeans, knitted jumpers and floral print tops. Keep it classic with a blue and white striped shirt paired with tailored trousers or explore an array of dresses from mini to maxi including wrap dresses, shift dresses and evening dresses.
In 2000 the Ralph Lauren Corporation launched its Volunteer Program, which energizes employees and creates meaningful connections with the communities in which they work. Ralph Lauren opened his first flagship in the Rhinelander mansion, on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street in New York City in 1986. Lauren re-created the building’s original opulence with a young design consultant named Naomi Leff, with whom he had previously worked on Ralph Lauren Home. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1992 followed by over ten additional lines and acquired brands, including Ralph Lauren Purple Label in 1995 and in 1996.
Anybody who has ever swung at a golf ball and missed might be inclined to believe that what they’re doing wrong is maybe not wearing enough Ralph Lauren. As integral to golf as the putting green is to the game, Ralph Lauren’s Golf line features enough golf gear options to outfit a pebble beach. The riding jackets, the jodhpurs, the saddle-shaped bag, the stirrup-shaped watch collections, the Gia Carangi ad, the embroidered crests and wool training vests. The story goes that Ralph and his wife Ricky (an original horse-girl muse?) were shopping in a riding store one day. Ralph bought Ricky an authentic boy’s tweed hacking jacket, and whenever she’d wear it, women would compliment.
The word “polo” comes from the the Balti word for “ball,” and there isn’t much American about it at all. It is rumoured that Ralph discovered the Polo logo when he visited Brioni in Italy in the 60s. The menswear brand had polo players printed on the lining of their jackets, because polo was the sport of the wealthy at the time. Ralph Lauren asked to license it for the American market, and they let him. Ralph convinced the president of the manufacturing company for which he worked—Beau Brummell—to let him release his own personal line of ties. Donna KaranDonna Karan is an American fashion designer and is the creator of the Donna Karan New York clothing line.
Seventeen cars from his collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 2011. In 2017, Lauren’s now $350 million car collection took center stage during New York Fashion Week. Lauren celebrated the 50th anniversary of his brand in a fashion show at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park on September 8, 2018. Attendees included Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Kanye West, Robert DeNiro and Jessica Chastain. Lauren has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including Architectural Digest, GQ, Forbes, Town & Country, TIME and Vogue. In 1974, he outfitted the male cast of The Great Gatsby in costumes from his Polo line – a 1920s-style series of men’s suits and sweaters, except for the pink suit which Lauren designed especially for Robert Redford’s Jay Gatsby.
What began 40 years ago with a collection of ties has grown into an entire world, redefining American style. Ralph Lauren has always stood for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in their dream. They were the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story, and the first to create stores that encourage customers to participate in that lifestyle.