Ralph Lauren

For the company, see Ralph Lauren Corporation.
Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren
Born Ralph Lifshitz
(1939-10-14) October 14, 1939
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Baruch College
Net worth DecreaseUS$6 billion (March 2016)[1]
Board member of Polo Ralph Lauren
Club Monaco
Spouse(s) Ricky Anne Loew-Beer (m. 1964)
Children 3: Andrew Lauren, Dylan Lauren, David Lauren

Ralph Lauren (pronounced LAW-ren)  listen ; born Ralph Lifshitz; October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and business executive, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has also become well known for his collection of rare automobiles, some of which have been displayed in museum exhibits. Lauren stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the company in September 2015 but remains its Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.[2] As of October 2016, Forbes estimates his wealth at $5.5 billion, which makes Ralph Lauren the 233rd richest person in the world.[3]

Early life of Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren was born in the Bronx, New York City,[4] to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, Frieda (Cutler) and Frank Lifshitz, an artist and house painter,[5] from Pinsk, Belarus.[6][7] Lauren was the youngest of four siblings – two brothers and one sister.

Lauren attended day school followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.[8][9] Lauren grew up playing basketball and baseball. He wanted to be Joe DiMaggio, and then he wanted to be a movie star. He constantly draws inspiration from his heroes including Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, and John F. Kennedy. He went to Baruch College, at The City University of New York (CUNY) where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years.

Career

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.[10] The Ralph Lauren Corporation started in 1967 with men’s ties. 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.[11]

Drawing on his interests in sports, Ralph Lauren named his first full line of menswear ‘Polo’ in 1968. He worked out of a single "drawer" from a showroom in the Empire State Building and made deliveries to stores himself.[12] By 1969, the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's sold Lauren’s men line exclusively. It was the first time that Bloomingdale’s had given a designer their own in-store boutique.

The Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store occupying the Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo House on Madison Avenue in New York City

In 1971, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched a line of tailored shirts for women, which introduce 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. 1971 also marked the opening of Ralph Lauren’s store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. This is the first freestanding store for an American designer.[13]

In 1972 the Ralph Lauren Corporation introduced a signature cotton mesh Polo shirt in various colors. Featuring the polo player logo at the chest, the shirt became emblematic of the preppy look--one of Ralph Lauren's signature styles. The tag line for the ad campaign was: "Every team has its color -- Polo has seventeen."[14]

In 1974 he outfitted the male cast of The Great Gatsby in costumes from his Polo line - a 1920s-style series of men's suits and sweaters, except for the pink suit which Lauren designed especially for Robert Redford’s Jay Gatsby. In 1977, Diane Keaton and Woody Allen wore Lauren’s clothes throughout their Oscar-winning film, Annie Hall.[15]

The first Ralph Lauren fragrances, produced by Warner-Lauren, Ltd. were launched at Bloomingdale's in March 1978. Lauren, a fragrance for women, on March 12 and Polo, cologne for men, on March 26. 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.

A Polo Ralph Lauren store on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

Ralph Lauren opens his first flagship in the Rhinelander mansion, on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street in New York City in 1986. Lauren re-creates the building's original opulence with a young design consultant named Naomi Leff, with whom he had previously worked on Ralph Lauren Home.[16] The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1992 followed by over ten additional lines and acquired brands, including Ralph Lauren Purple Label in 1995 and Lauren Ralph Lauren in 1996.

On June 12, 1997, the company becomes a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.[17]

The 98-seat restaurant, RL, opens in March 1999 in a newly-constructed building adjacent to the largest Ralph Lauren store at the corner of Chicago and Michigan Avenues. It was followed by the opening of two additional restaurants – Ralph’s at 173 Boulevard Saint Germain Paris flagship store in 2010 and The Polo Bar at Polo’s flagship in New York in 2015.[18]

The company launched its official web site, and online shop in 2000 as polo.com by RL Media (a cooperation between Ralph Lauren and NBC). In 2007, Ralph Lauren Corporation acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ralphlauren.com. In 2008, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched a brand called American Living, exclusively for JCPenney. It was the largest cross-category brand launch in the history of Ralph Lauren and JCPenney. On 29 September 2015, it was announced that Stefan Larsson would replace the company's founder, Ralph Lauren, as CEO in November. Lauren will stay on as executive chairman and chief creative officer.[19]

Ralph Lauren has been featured on over 100 global magazines covers including Architectural Digest, GQ, Forbes, Town & Country, TIME and Vogue (magazine).

Awards and honors

Year Award & Honor
1970

A jury of men's fashion editors select Lauren to receive the Coty Award for the highest creativity of the year in men's fashion design.[20]

1973

Ralph Lauren wins his second Coty Award for menswear. It is the first time a menswear designer has been a two-time Coty winner.[21]

1974

Ralph Lauren wins his first Coty "Winnie" Award for womenswear.[22]

1975

Ralph Lauren wins the American Fashion Award. (Council of Fashion Designers of America)[23]

1976

Ralph Lauren enters the Coty Hall of Fame for Menswear, and also wins his second Coty Award for Womenswear, the first time a designer has won awards for both menswear and womenswear in the same year.[24]

1977

Ralph Lauren receives the Coty Hall of Fame award for womenswear.[25]

1979

Ralph Lauren receives his first special citation at the 1979 Coty Awards for his direct influence in establishing American fashion on a world-wide basis.[26]

1981

At the first Council of Fashion Designers of America award ceremony, Ralph Lauren wins his first CFDA Fashion Award.[27]

1985

Ralph Lauren receives the Menswear Association of America's Designer Achievement Award.[28]

1987

At the CFDA Awards, Ralph Lauren is awarded 1986 "Retailer of the Year" for transforming the cinematic feel of his clothing into a physical environment.[29]

1988

Pratt Institute awards Ralph Lauren with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.[30]

1989

Ralph Lauren receives The American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award in 1989 for fashion and design. The Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Achievement to approximately 25 recipients, chosen for their exceptional accomplishments in the sciences, professions, business, industry, arts, literature, sports, entertainment, and public service.[31]

1992

Ralph Lauren receives the first-ever CFDA Lifetime Achievement award--an honor created specifically for him and presented with heartfelt recognition by Audrey Hepburn.[32]

1995

Ralph Lauren receives the CFDA award for Womenswear Designer of the Year.[33]

1996

Ralph Lauren is honored with the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research's first Humanitarian Award, which is presented to Lauren by Princess Diana.[34]

1996

Receives an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Brandeis University for his commitment to arts and education, and for his prominent role in the fight against breast cancer.[35]

1996

Ralph Lauren receives the CFDA award for Menswear Designer of the Year.[36]

1997

Ralph Lauren wins CFDA's Award for Humanitarian Leadership in recognition of his commitment to fighting breast cancer.[37]

2000

In celebration of his contribution to American style, Ralph Lauren is among the first designers inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame in the center of New York City's Fashion District.(Garment District, Manhattan)[38]

2003

Ralph Lauren Corporation receives a Restore America Heroes award from The National Trust for Historic Preservation.[39]

2007

Ralph Lauren wins the American Fashion Legend Award, presented by Oprah Winfrey on June 4th at the CFDA Awards, held at the New York Public Library.[40]

2009

Ralph Lauren wins the CFDA's newly created "Popular Vote Award". The award, which is given to the designer who receives the most votes cast online by the public.[41]

2010

Mayor Michael Bloomberg presents Ralph Lauren with a key to the city of New York.[42]

2010

In a private ceremony at the Élysée Palace, Ralph Lauren receives the prestigious Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur from Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic of France, in recognition of his contributions as a designer, business leader, and philanthropist.[43]

2012

Ralph Lauren tops the list for the global apparel industry category for the first time in Fortune magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies 2012.” [44]

2014

The Company's "The Dog Walk Campaign" won the Clio Image Award in the category for Partnerships and & Sponsorships, while the Omotesando RRL Store in Tokyo, Japan wins for the category of Architectural Design.[45]

2014

The Smithsonian presented Ralph Lauren with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal. The medal recognizes Lauren's lifetime contributions to American entrepreneurship, artistry, and creativity as well as acknowledging the critical leadership role Lauren played in helping preserve the Star-Spangled Banner as part of "Save America's Treasures" initiative established by Hillary Rodham Clinton when she served as First Lady.[46]

2016

Ralph Lauren and Leonardo DiCaprio were honored at the 50th Anniversary Riverkeeper Fishermen’s Ball at Chelsea Piers in New York City.[47]

2016

Ralph Lauren received Womens Wear Daily’s first John B. Fairchild Honor.[48]

Automobile collection

Ralph Lauren with his Porsche GT3 RS (2010)

Ralph Lauren is well known as a collector of automobiles,[49] with over 70 automobiles, some being extremely rare. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa's, three 1996 McLaren F1's (one of them an ultra-rare McLaren F1 LM), a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, a 1929 Bentley 4½ Litre (Blower Bentley") , one Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, a Porsche 997 GT3 RS, a Bugatti Veyron, a 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" (aka "The Black Prince") a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia.[50] and a rare Lamborghini Reventón Roadster. His cars have won "Best in Show" at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance twice, his 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic won in 1990 and his 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" roadster won in 1993. In 2005 his collection was displayed at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.[51] Seventeen cars from his collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 2011.[52]

Personal life

On December 20, 1964, he married Ricky Anne Loew-Beer in New York City. Ricky is the daughter of an Margaret Vytouch, and Rudolph Loew-Beer. The two met six months earlier, in a doctor's office where Ricky was working as a receptionist and on alternative days teaching dance.[53]

They have three children

In early 1987, Ralph Lauren was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. In April 1987 he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and made a full recovery.[57]

Lauren owns a 17,000 acre cattle ranch in Ridgway, Colorado.[58]

Philanthropy

" I hate when people call me philanthropic because I see it as more coming from the heart"

—Ralph Lauren, May 2014[59]

1989
Co-Founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. in memory of the late Post fashion correspondent.[60]
1994
Ralph Lauren acts as chairman and creates the name and symbol for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, a charitable initiative of the CFDA that marshals the goodwill and services of the fashion industry to raise public awareness and funds for breast cancer internationally.[61]
2000
Ralph Lauren Corporation launches its Volunteer Program, which energizes employees and creates meaningful connections with the communities in which they work.[62]
2000
On Friday, September 15th Ralph Lauren Corporation launches the Pink Pony Campaign, a national initiative to reduce disparities in cancer care by raising awareness as well as enhancing prevention, screening, and treatment in poor and underserved communities.[63]
2001
The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation establishes the American Heroes Fund following September 11th to allow Polo's 10,000 employees worldwide, as well as their customers, the opportunity to participate in the relief effort.[64]
2003
Ralph Lauren supports to establish the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in Harlem. The Center is a collaboration between Ralph Lauren, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, and North General Hospital in Harlem, New York City.[65]
2004
The Polo Fashion School is established, in which Company executives work with inner-city youth to offer insights into the fashion business.[66]
2006
Established in 2006, the Polo Jeans G.I.V.E. (Get Involved Volunteer Exceed) campaign was created to inspire and encourage community service through volunteerism by supporting the efforts of dedicated volunteers and their causes.[67]
2008
The Star-Spangled Banner, the original 1813 flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem, was preserved by a $10 million contribution to Save America's Treasures from Polo Ralph Lauren in 1998. The flag was then unveiled on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in a new gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, in Washington D.C.[68]
2013
Ralph Lauren Corporation announced in July of 2013 its commitment to restore the elite L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, one of the most influential art schools in France.[69]
2014
Ralph Lauren Corporation partners with the Royal Marsden, the largest and most comprehensive cancer center in Europe, to develop a world-class breast cancer research facility.[70]
2016
Ralph Lauren Corporation opens the Royal Marsden Ralph Lauren Center for Breast Cancer Research.[71]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The World's Billionaires 2016 RANKING". Forbes.com.
  2. ↑ http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2015/09/30/ralph-lauren-steps-down-as-ceo-of-his-company
  3. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Forbes". Forbes.com. August 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  4. ↑ Steven T. Katz (11 October 2010). Why Is America Different?: American Jewry on its 350th Anniversary. University Press of America. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-0-7618-4770-0. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  5. ↑ Gross (2004), p. 28
  6. ↑ Menkes, Suzy (May 14, 2007). "Ralph Lauren returns to his Russian roots". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  7. ↑ Library, C. N. N. "Ralph Lauren Fast Facts – CNN.com".
  8. ↑ "Selling a Dream of Elegance and the Good Life", Time, September 1, 1986. Retrieved September 15, 2009. "At DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, Lauren attended business classes but paid little attention to studies. His adolescent idols were British and American style setters: the Duke of Windsor, for example, and Katharine Hepburn."
  9. ↑ "DeWitt Clinton High School, Bronx, New York". Retrieved 2007-07-30.
  10. ↑ "Oprah Interviews Ralph Lauren". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  11. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Greatest Moments". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  12. ↑ Winfrey, Oprah. Oct. 2002: Oprah. Weborn 12 Dec. 2012. Oprah Interviews Ralph Lauren
  13. ↑ "INSIDE RALPH LAUREN'S NEWLY RENOVATED RODEO DRIVE FLAGSHIP". Hollywood Reporter. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  14. ↑ "50 Things You Didn't Know About Ralph Lauren". Complex Magazine. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  15. ↑ "The Great Gatsby". Ralph Lauren. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  16. ↑ "Mansion Backstory to Ralph Lauren NYC Men's Flagship Store". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  17. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Hopes to Raise $600 Million by Going Public". The New York Times. 1997-04-09. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  18. ↑ "Ralph Lauren opens Polo Bar restaurant in New York". The Telegraph. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  19. ↑ "Ralph Lauren steps down as CEO of his fashion firm". CNBC. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  20. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Fast Facts". CNN. 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  21. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Joins Coty's Fashion Hall of Fame". New York Times. 1977-06-10. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  22. ↑ "American Fashion Designers Honored In a Theatrical Evening of Coty Awards". The New York Times. 1977-09-30. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  23. ↑ "A brief history" (PDF). Stanford University. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  24. ↑ "Ralph Lauren's rags to riches: How designer went from being a kid from the Bronx to a fashion mogul worth $6.5billion". The Daily Mail. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  25. ↑ "Fashion Legend – Ralph Lauren". Niche Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  26. ↑ "Fashion View". The New York Times. 1979-09-23. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  27. ↑ "RALPH LAUREN WINS MOST POPULAR AMERICAN DESIGNER AT COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA AWARDS CEREMONY". Ralph Lauren. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  28. ↑ "RALPH LAUREN". CFDA. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  29. ↑ "Ralph Lauren". Fashion Designer Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  30. ↑ "Honorary Degrees Previously Awarded" (PDF). Pratt Institute. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  31. ↑ "THE GOLDEN PLATE AWARDEES". American Academy of Achievement. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  32. ↑ "RALPH LAUREN TIMELINE". Fashion Capital. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  33. ↑ "Ralph Lauren". Britannica. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  34. ↑ "Royal Appointment: Prince William Opens the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research in London". WWD. 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  35. ↑ "HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS". Brandeis University. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  36. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Fast Facts". CNN. 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  37. ↑ "Ralph Lauren". Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  38. ↑ "POSTINGS: Sidewalk Plaques for 8 Fashion Designers; A Walk of Fame On Seventh Ave.". New York Times. 1999-11-21. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  39. ↑ "Valerie Cunningham Accepts Hero Award". Seacoast NH. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  40. ↑ "IT'S A CFDA TIE!". Vogue. 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  41. ↑ "2009 CFDA Fashion Awards Presented in New York". PR Newswire. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  42. ↑ "Ralph Lauren's New Accessory". Wall Street Journal. 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  43. ↑ "Ralph Lauren honoured with the Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur". The Telegraph. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  44. ↑ "WORLD'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES 2012". Fortune Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  45. ↑ "THE CLIO IMAGE AWARDS". Haute Headline. 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  46. ↑ "Hillary Clinton Awards Ralph Lauren for Helping the 200-Year-Old Star-Spangled Banner See Another 200 Years". Smithsonianmag. 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  47. ↑ "Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball honoring Leonardo DiCaprio and Ralph Lauren". Riverkeep.org. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  48. ↑ "Ralph Lauren to Receive Inaugural John B. Fairchild Honor". WWD. 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  49. ↑ Wired magazine, Ralph Lauren collection
  50. ↑ "BADASS D.A.D. GARAGE OWNED BY RALPH LAUREN". unfinishedman. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  51. ↑ "Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. March 6, 2005. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  52. ↑ "Forthcoming Events". lesartsdecoratifs.fr. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  53. ↑ "Yes, But Is It Kosher For Passover? Ralph Lauren's Daughter Dylan Readying Candy Bar For Easter". Jewish Business News. 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  54. ↑ New York Observer: "Andrew Lauren, Son of Ralph, Worships Redford, Beatty, Welles" By Irina Aleksander April 30, 2008
  55. ↑ Christopher Ross (2015-09-30). "A Day in the Life of David Lauren". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  56. ↑ "Dylan Lauren and Paul Arrouet". The New York Times. 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  57. ↑ "''New York Times'' report on Ralph Lauren's brain tumor surgery". New York Times. April 16, 1987. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  58. ↑ How to Throw an All-American Cookout Like Ralph Lauren Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  59. ↑ Royce-Greensill, Sarah (May 13, 2014). "Ralph Lauren partners with The Royal Marsden". Telegraph. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Whatever Happened To … Nina Hyde?". The Washington Post. 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  61. ↑ "Ralph Lauren's breast cancer campaign turns 20 years old". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  62. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Volunteer Program". Ralph Lauren. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  63. ↑ "Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Fund Initiative Launches". The Fashion Times. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  64. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Timeline". The Fashion Capital. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  65. ↑ "Cancer Center to Be Establishes in Harlem". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  66. ↑ "Polo Fashion School". Ralph Lauren. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  67. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Insulates Habitat for Humanity Homes". The Tree Hugger. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  68. ↑ "Smithsonian's Star-Spangled Banner to Undergo Three-Year Conservation". American History. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  69. ↑ "Ralph Lauren Restores the Amphitheater of the École des Beaux-Arts". Vogue. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  70. ↑ "The Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research". The NHS. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  71. ↑ "Ralph Lauren opens £4 million new breast cancer centre, inspired by his friendship with Princess Diana". The Telegraph. 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2016-10-08.

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