Ralph Lauren, original name Ralph Rueben Lifshitz is an American fashion designer who developed his brand in the image of the American elite lifestyle and built one of the most successful fashion empires in the world.
Lifshitz grew up in the Bronx. He and his brother changed their last name to Lauren when they were still kids. He took business classes at night and worked in sales during the day after high school. He was inspired to begin designing his own ties while working for a tie company. In 1967, he started his own company to promote his particular tie line under the Polo name.
From the start of his brand, Mr. Lauren’s work has featured a style, reminiscent of the English aristocracy adopted by the athletic East Coast elite. His first menswear line in 1968 featured classic tweed suits and his first womenswear line in 1971 continued his explorations of classic tailoring and good taste, but with a feminine twist. In 1972 Lauren debuted what would become his signature piece: the mesh sport shirt, available in many different colors and featuring his trademark emblem of the most aristocratic of athletes, the polo player.
The Ralph Lauren outlet online sartorial style became a national phenomenon in 1974 when he dressed the actors in his current costume for the film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The film’s evocation of the lost, elegant era of F. Scott Fitzgerald provided an excellent vehicle for Lauren’s classic, sometimes nostalgic, vision. Lauren once said of his style, “I have a preference for longevity, timelessness, style—not fashion.” In the decades that followed, his work reflected that maxim. His exploration of new ideas — including Southwest themes and hunting styles — was always based on his central focus on classic American clothing.
Mr. Lauren’s vision appealed to people, and his brand quickly became an empire. Seeing how his clothes were linked to a certain lifestyle, starting in 1983, he expanded his business to include a wide range of home accessories, eventually including pillows, throwing gear, bed and bath products, furniture, and home paints.
Mr. Lauren has also diversified his brand’s appeal by designing a range of clothes and accessories for different price points and demographic groups, including a jeans line and a children’s line.