Despite his humble origins, he was thinking big. In his 1957 High School yearbook, he wrote being a millionaire was his life goal! Was this the lad behind the fashion house fortune?
Left: daughter Dylan Lauren, Ralph, Ricky, sons Andrew and David
at the Ralph Lauren in NY City.
people.com
In Dec 1964, Lauren married Ricky Loew-Beer in NY, dance teacher and author. They remained members of Park Ave Synagogue Manhattan, and had 3 children. [In 2011, their son David married Lauren Bush, granddaughter of ex-Pres George H Bush and the niece of ex-Pres George W Bush].
Lauren then worked for Beau Brummell, a famous tie manufacturer. Ralph persuaded the company president to let him design his own line of ties; hence the Ralph Lauren Corporation was born in 1967. His interest in sport then led to the launch of his iconic brand Polo. Watching his first polo match had activated his entrepreneurial spirit. He went with friend Warren Helstein who described how they were exposed to fabulous things; horses, silver, leather, tall blondes in hats and high society.
Ralph Lauren opened luxury flagship in Miami
in 2023
It spurred Lauren into developing an elegant and high-class brand, which later became known as Polo Ralph Lauren. It was a massive risk launching the company, as he had only a high school diploma and some business classes, never finishing studies at the City Uni of New York.
His next big risk was designing wide, colourful ties, in an era when plain and narrow was the fashion. His radical approach paid dividends – Bloomingdale’s loved it and bought $500,000 of ties in his first year.
Polo Ralph Lauren pure silk tie
Reddit
Lauren continued expanding his company. He believed in enjoying the moment, constantly moving forward. When it came to designing clothing, he came up with designs that he would want to wear himself. He imagined clothing fit for movie stars. “The things that I made, you could not find them anywhere,” he said.
He had started out in menswear, not launching his first tailored shirts for women until 1971, with his now-famous Polo player emblem. He also opened his ship on Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills, that year! His signature cotton Polo short was launched in 1972, while his range of fragrances made their debut at Bloomingdale’s in March 1978.
His outfits for men and women were unfussy and very smart. Denim was very popular.
He opened his flagship store on Madison Avenue and 72nd St in New York in 1986. In 1992, Lauren launched his iconic Polo Sport line, followed by additional lines and acquired brands eg Ralph Lauren Purple Label in 1995. His company was publicly traded on the NY Stock Exchange in June 1997.
The 98-seat restaurant RL opened in 1999 in Chicago in a newly built building adjacent to the largest Ralph Lauren store at cnr Chicago and Michigan Avenues. It was followed by the opening of two additional restaurants, Ralph's in Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris flagship shop in 2010 and The Polo Bar at Polo's flagship shop in New York in 2015. I have never been in any of these 3 restaurants.
The marketing genius is that his brand conjured romantic, nostalgic visions of rugged wranglers, and clean, Ivy League privilege, yet Lauren made billions from polo shirts and denim. But in 2016 Ralph Lauren brand seemed to be stressed. Analysts criticised discounting, claiming they cheapened its image, while a failure to attract younger buyers was also relevant. In 2017 the designer responded by launching wearable tech in a fitness technology shirt, combined with a mobile app. The Polo Tech Smartshirt athletic apparel pioneered physical tracking technology. It was embedded with sensors, tracking heart rates, breathing, stress level and calories burned. Data were streamed to an app that generated workout programmes, enabling Polo Sport to compete with sports brands eg Nike and Adidas.
Ralph Lauren's Celeb-Packed Show in the Hamptons
2024, Getty
Amassing a fortune, fashion designer Ralph Lauren went from rags to riches. The army veteran and former clerk earned his fortune through building an empire with his Polo clothing brand, launched in 1968. Thus the Bronx lad who dreamed of becoming rich is a multi-billionaire, with homes in Long Island, Jamaica and Manhattan, plus a huge Colorado range. He stepped down as CEO in Sept 2015, remaining executive chairman. In April 2024, his net worth was cUS$9 billion.
photo credit: Ralph Lauren Corporation.
In Jan 2025 President Joe Biden awarded Lauren the Presidential Medal of Freedom, making him the first fashion designer ever to receive the highest civilian honour.
*Read Biographer Michael Gross’ Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren, 2003.
*Read Biographer Michael Gross’ Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren, 2003.
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22 comments:
Ralph Lauren’s journey from a Bronx-born dreamer to a billionaire fashion mogul exemplifies the power of vision and reinvention
Young men used to not worry about looking smart. And their parents only worried that they were clean. Young women seemed like a much better market
The man had a vision and followed through. He did very well, I like that his clothes are unfussy.
He kept his word to be a millionaire, but he did better, a good success story.
Dear Helen, thank you for this very informative post! I am a Lauren-Fan: his clothes fit my slim figure-line and height like a glove, and they are very wearable for many occasions. I am not tied to one brand - but I can be quite sure that if I see Lauren in a store it will fit my figure and taste.
I knew nothing of Lauren, not even that Polo was a Lauren brand. So, thank you for his history. I hope with his wealth, he was a generous donor to the less fortunate in life, and without the attitude that 'I pulled myself up by my bootstraps', and you can do the same.
Why did Pres Joe Biden award Ralph Lauren the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year? Being an amazing fashion designer does not put Lauren in the same award category as the Dalai Lama.
roentare
Migrants, or migrants' children are often very ambitious. I could watch my first polo match and never see my entrepreneurial spirit emerge. And mixing with important people exposed Ralph to fabulous things and to high society. Ambitious, at the right place at the right time, and able to cash in on his dreams!
Deb
teenage and early 20s males always looked very ordinary, yes! In my experience, young males didn't think about smartening up until they wanted to impress would-be fiancees or to interview well before would-be bosses.
Ralph wanted to design an elegant brand in which he would feel great, comfortable and unfussy: Polo Ralph Lauren. He did very well in the male market.
River
I love the Guardian quote that discussed Ralph's special but unfussy style. "His brand conjured romantic, nostalgic visions of rugged wranglers and clean, Ivy League privilege, plus expensive polo shirts and denim."
He created clothes that ordinary people could wear, if they could afford them.
Margaret
agreed.. personally successful and community sensitive! His Foundation focuses on: supporting cancer care and prevention, protecting the environment, fostering advocacy & strengthening community resilience. The changes come through its nonprofit collaborations, grant funding and volunteering programs.
Britta, agreed.
Re men, Ralph's men’s apparel facilitates many dressing genres and clothing coordinations. Paired with a solid or patterned woven or knit shirt, any colour or model of sweater, sport jacket or outerwear, the chino is the male’s idea of the epitome of default dressing." (Permanent Style).
His women's styles were more attractive and inspiring.
Andrew
He is very philanthropic! I will mention just one.
Ralph's Pink Pony’s mission was developed to reduce disparities in cancer care in underserved communities and to ensure that access to quality treatment is available to all at a more curable stage. They inspire a proactive approach to health, including preventative cancer care.
jabblog
his clothes were mainly moderately priced, out of the reach of those who watched every penny they spent. But fortunately the lower end casual brands under Ralph Lauren start from low-end casual wear (denim) and still seen to sell well.
Joe
The Presidential Medal of Freedom honours individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of US, world peace or other significant endeavours. Founded in 1963 by Pres J.F Kennedy, the medal has been awarded to a diverse range of influential figures, including Dr Martin Luther King Jr, President Reagan and Maya Angelou.
For Ralph Lauren this was an acknowledgment of his transformative influence on American culture and society. It was awarded for Lauren’s philanthropic contributions, including his efforts in cancer care and cultural preservation. (Ralph Lauren Corporation).
I understand the world of clothing can be cut throat. I wonder how much was his skill and how much was plain luck. But he had to have skill to continue to where he is today. This was a fascinating post. AAnd I wonder if Lauren Bush goes by or maiden name or is Lauren Lauren. Grin. Have a super rest of your weekend.
I felt sick when I saw Biden's photo in your post.
Erika
Two amazing families!
Lauren Bush started FEED Projects (meals for starving children worldwide in 2007) and married David Lauren in 2011. In 2013 she won the World of Children Awards for these projects. She also received the Accessories Council Humanitarian Award and the Fashion Group International Humanitarian Award. In 2014, Lauren Bush was named as a Forbes’ Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs. Her amazing FEED Projects had donated 100+ million meals by late 2017.
Irina
thanks for reading the post.
Do you think that Pres. Biden shouldn't have given the award to Ralph Lauren, that somebody else should have awarded it? Or that Ralph Lauren was a fashion designer and therefore should have received a more appropriate award than the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Learn quite a bit.
peppy
Most of what we learn in the daily news is miserable. But there are heaps of well written blogs that show how much more we all have to learn. Thankfully!
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