Ralph Lauren
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| Ralph Lauren | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ralph Lauren |
| Nationality | American |
| Birth date | October 14, 1939 (age 67) |
| Birth place |  The Bronx, New York |
| Education | Baruch College |
| Working Life | |
| Label Name | Ralph Lauren |
Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifschitz on October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer and business executive.
Contents |
[edit] Upbringing
Ralph Lauren was born in the Amsterdam borough of The Bronx to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Fraydl (Kotlar) and Frank Lifshitz, his father was a house painter. There are many parallels with Robert Denning, the interior designer. Both grew up without fashion, but went on to create for others an environment of society, old money and country-club style. Although neither had any exposure to this world as a child, each was able to visualize and create his dream. For Lauren this look would eventually become Polo Ralph Lauren.
From a very young age, he started working after school to earn money to buy stylish, expensive suits with an early preference for quality over quantity. His attire soon gave him a trendy reputation among his peers. The well-known Calvin Klein, a younger contemporary also lived in the same Bronx neighbourhood. Lauren graduated in 1957 from the DeWitt Clinton High School, at which time it was an all-boys' school. In his high school yearbook, he stated under his picture that he wanted to be a millionaire. Others who attended this school include Burt Lancaster, Robert Klein, Stan Lee, and Colin Powell. At age 16, Ralph's brother Jerry changed their last name from Lifshitz to Lauren (his brother Lenny remained a Lifshitz for many years).
He went to the Baruch College where he studied Business and dropped out after two years. From 1962 to 1964, he served in the United States Army. After his discharge, in 1968, he married Ricky Low-Beer. He did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman and then created the label Polo, a necktie business. He later purchased this name from his initial backer, Norman Hilton. Lauren's fashion empire has since grown into a billion-dollar business.
In 1984 he recreated the Rhinelander Mansion, a former home of the photographer Edgar de Evia and Robert Denning, into the flagship store for Polo Ralph Lauren. This same year de Evia photographed the Lauren home at Round Hill in Jamaica for House & Garden.
In the middle of the 1990s, Polo Ralph Lauren became a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RL.
Ralph and his wife, Ricky, have two sons and a daughter: Andrew, David, and Dylan. David is an executive at Polo Ralph Lauren. Dylan owns and operates an upscale candy store, Dylan's Candy Bar, at 59th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. Ricky appeared on the television show Martha on December 6th, 2006 and stated that her son Andrew is in the "movie business".
Lauren is the subject of several biographies (written by Jeffrey Trachtenberg, Michael Gross and Colin MacDowell).
Lauren is also well-known as a collector of classic automobiles. His cars have won best in show at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance multiple times. His collection was recently displayed at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
[edit] Brands
Since the inception of Polo in 1967, Ralph Lauren has created many other brands. They include:
Clothing for men:
- Purple Label (Launched in 1994)
- Black Label (Available in 11 boutiques throughout the United States)
- Polo Ralph Lauren
- RLX
- RRL (Double RL)
- Polo Denim
- Polo Golf
- Polo Tennis
- Rugby
Clothing for women:
- Collection
- Black Label
- Blue Label
- Lauren Ralph Lauren
- Lauren Jeans Co.
- RLX
- RRL (Double RL)
- Pink Pony
- Rugby
Clothing for children:
- Boys
- Girls
- Layette
Home (including furniture, fabrics, tabletop, accessories, and paint)
Polo Ralph Lauren also owns the retailer Club Monaco, which operates independently within the RL corporate structure.
In 2006 Ralph Lauren became the first Official Outfitter of Wimbledon, redesigning the outfits for ballboys, line and court judges and the Wimbledon logo was adapted for this purpose. Ralph Lauren's Polo brand and style was used and a range of clothing for men and women was launched on 26th June.
[edit] Pronunciation
The correct pronunciation of Lauren is (LÔR-ən).
There has been some confusion over the pronunciation of Ralph Lauren; some pronounce it like the last name of actress Sophia Loren (la-WREN), while others pronounce it like the name Lauren (LÔR-ən). On her website, Jenny Lauren, Ralph Lauren's niece, clarifies this issue, saying that it is pronounced "like a girl's first name." [1]
[edit] Imitations
The vast majority of Polo Ralph Lauren's apparel is manufactured in China , with few exceptions to its product line, such as its men's black-label business line (Panama), some shoe lines (Italy, England, and France), "Rugby" (Italy & US), and the popular PRL polo shirts (primarily USA with occasional Asia-Pacific sales stock sourced from Sri Lanka). Like watches, the Ralph Lauren brand has become a desirable item to copy-cat with many cheap imitation PRL products widely available throughout Latin America and many Asian countries, particularly Bali and Jakarta. PRL is currently pursuing civil action against dealers in Ubud who falsely claim to be factory outlet operators, selling counterfeit items to tourists.
[edit] External links
- Ralph Lauren Web Site
- Shop Ralph Lauren Online (US)
- Ralph Lauren Home
- Who's Who of Fashion Designer biography of Ralph Lauren
- Discuss Ralph Lauren at TopicStyle.com
- Ralph Lauren Biography
- Unauthorized Biography site
- Ralph Lauren at the Internet Movie Database
- Biography resources dedicated to Ralph Lauren
[edit] References
- ^ Jenny Lauren - Author. Retrieved on 6 January, 2007.
