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.
Famed for its unique blend of preppy Americana with European tailoring, Ralph Lauren offers men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes and bags that epitomize refined sophistication. With an array of diffusion lines and iconic products under its belt, namely Polo Ralph Lauren t shirt its polo shirts, Ralph Lauren has come to represent modern luxury while taking its cues from timeless heritage aesthetics. In 1989 Lauren co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C.
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 1992 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of American Fashion Designers and a tribute for twenty-five years of impact on American style from the Woolmark Awards. The Council of Fashion Designers later elected him Designer of the Year in 1996. The youngest of four children, Ralph Lifshitz was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 14, 1939. While attending DeWitt Clinton High School in New York, he worked part-time for New York department stores, saving his money to buy clothes.
This was the first time that a designer has introduced two fragrances – one for men and one for women – simultaneously. The company entered the European market, and went international, in 1981 with the opening of the first freestanding store for an American designer on New Bond Street in the West End of London, England. In 1971, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched a line of tailored shirts for women, which introduced the Polo player emblem to the world for the first time, appearing on the shirt’s cuff. The first full women’s collection was launched the following year. In 1971 Lauren also opened a store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California; this was the first freestanding store for an American designer.
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.
From 1962 to 1964 he served in the United States Army and left to work briefly for Brooks Brothers as a sales assistant before becoming a salesman for a tie company. At 28 years old, Lauren worked for the tie manufacturer Beau Brummell, where he convinced the company’s president to let him start his own line. Join our email list and be the first to hear about deals, trends, new brands and more. Plus, you’ll get exclusive offers and discounts on your favorite brands. The earliest edition was created in 1978 and the newest is from 2021.
Elevate your accessories with an array of leather cross body bags, shoulder bags, tote bags and backpacks or smarten up your footwear with a white trainers, boots and loafers in black or brown. Lauren is known for capitalizing on an aspirational style and key insignia which evokes the British gentry while also referencing the aesthetics of the American upper class. His fashion ideas have been criticized by some for not being particularly innovative while also embraced by scores of consumers who prefer more approachable looks. Lauren subsequently broadened his brand to include a luxury clothing line known as Ralph Lauren Purple, a rough and rustic line of apparel dubbed RRL, a home-furnishing collection called Ralph Lauren Home and a set of fragrances.
As his peers in New York retire or leave the main stage, Ralph Lauren looms large. At the age of 16, Ralph and his brother Jerry changed their last name to Lauren after having been teased consistently at school. Ralph was known for his distinctive fashion sense as a teen, finding inspiration in screen icons like Fred Astaire and Cary Grant while having a taste for both classic preppy wear and vintage looks.