Ralph Lauren
Oscar de la Renta
April 20, 2020
Tom Ford
April 20, 2020
The son of Russian working class immigrants, Ralph Lauren was born in New York in 1939. He studied business at Baruch College before joining the US Army for 2 years. When he returned he worked in sales for Brooks Brothers and then for tie manufacturer Beau Brummell. He convinced the tie company’s president to let him start his own line when he was 28 years old - and thus was born The Ralph Lauren Corporation.
He started his ‘Polo’ sportswear-inspired line in 1968 working out of a single drawer from a showroom in the Empire State Building and making deliveries to stores himself. Bloomingdale's gave him his own in-store boutique and he launched his womenswear line in 1971, opening the first freestanding store for an American designer in Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive. In 1972 the Ralph Lauren (RL) Corporation introduced its signature cotton mesh Polo shirt featuring the polo player logo at the chest, becoming the most emblematic shirt of the preppy look, and arguably the most iconic item of American sportswear to this day.
After the Polo Sport line was introduced in 1992, several additional lines and acquired brands have been added to the RL portfolio, including childrenswear, perfumes, housewares, furniture and paint. Lauren retired from the CEO position in 2015 but stays on as executive chairman and chief creative officer. He has defined American sportswear with his classic and preppy designs, drawing upon an image of old world wealth and luxury, and he has pioneered the concept of clothes as part of a lifestyle environment. This fashion designer, philanthropist, and business executive, who transformed the RL Corporation into a global multibillion-dollar enterprise, has left an indelible mark on the American and world fashion scene.
