Following this recognition, he released a line of women’s suits tailored in a classic men’s style. Then in 1972, Lauren released a short-sleeve cotton shirt in 24 colors. This design, emblazoned with the company’s famed logo—that of a polo player, created by tennis pro René Lacoste—became the brand’s signature look. Iconic designer Ralph Lauren’s first job in the fashion industry was in retail at Brooks Brothers before developing a line of neckties.
Wanting to leverage his interest in sports, the designer opted for Polo when it came to naming his eponymous label. What Lauren—nee Lifshitz—started with a simple necktie, eventually transformed into an entire wardrobe. The SSENSE editors unpack the ABCs of the Polo Ralph Lauren legacy. Ralph Lauren has always stood for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in our dream. In 2011, a selection from his car collection was exhibited in Paris.
In 1977, Diane Keaton and Woody Allen wore Lauren’s clothes throughout their Oscar-winning film, Annie Hall. Lauren attended day school followed by the Manhattan Talmudical Academy, before eventually polo dress shirts graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957. He went to Baruch College, at the City University of New York where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years.
The Lauren Ralph Lauren Rug Collection is inspired by the lifestyles represented in Ralph Lauren Home couture rugs, but at a more moderate price point. LRL rugs offer home decorators a choice of iconic Ralph Lauren lifestyle looks that match their personal taste and style. This collection features hand-knotted, hand-loomed and Axminster weaves. After a year of falling shares, Lauren stepped aside as chief executive of Ralph Lauren Corp. in September 2015 and appointed Stefan Larsson, the global president of The Gap’s Old Navy division, to take over as CEO. Lauren took on the role of executive chairman and chief creative officer of the company he founded.
After graduating from high school he worked as a salesman and began studying business at night. He quit school after a few months, spent time in the army, and then looked for a job in fashion. Ralph Lauren is a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products. Visit Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store to discover signature styles for men, women and children at exceptional everyday values. Ralph Lauren offers luxury and designer men’s and women’s clothing, and accessories.
Two major new ventures begun in 1995 took Lauren into the highly competitive blue jean and mass-market women’s clothing categories. Both took the Lauren name to a new customer at lower prices and were instant hits. In 1996 Lauren’s Home Collection contributed about $535 million in sales world-wide—more than any other designer.
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 Polo Ralph Lauren t shirt 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.
Ralph Lauren Corporation designs, markets, and distributes lifestyle products in North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company’s restaurant concepts include The Polo Bar in New York City; RL Restaurant in Chicago; Ralph’s in Paris; and Ralph’s Coffee concept. Ralph Lauren Corporation sells its products to department stores, specialty stores, and golf and pro shops, as well as directly to consumers through its retail stores, concession-based shop-within-shops, and its digital commerce sites.
Polo currently produces clothing for men, women and children and has hundreds of internationally placed stores, including factory stores that produce the majority of his sales domestically. The company launched its website and online shop in 2000 as polo.com by RL Media . In 2007, Ralph Lauren Corporation acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ralphlauren.com. In 2008, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched a brand called American Living, exclusively for JCPenney. It was the largest cross-category brand launch in the history of Ralph Lauren and JCPenney. On September 29, 2015, it was announced that Stefan Larsson would replace the company’s founder, Ralph Lauren, as CEO in November.
Decades later, Lauren would be enamored by a show that wholeheartedly reflects his particular vision, the PBS seriesDownton Abbey. He subsequently created a fall collection inspired by the show and sponsored its final season in 2016. Ralph Lauren is an American clothing designer best known for his sportswear line Polo Ralph Lauren, the centerpiece of his fashion empire. Join our list for daily style inspiration & first access to global fashion. Beginning as a bespoke line of colorful ties, Ralph Lauren launched his eponymous label in 1967, and it has since grown into one of the world’s most celebrated fashion houses.