RALPH LAUREN

Introduction• Iconic designer Ralph Lauren was born

Ralph Lifshitz in New York City on October 14, 1939. Lauren worked in retail before developing a line of neckties. The brand he established, Polo, is now one part of an empire that includes fragrances, home furnishings and luxury clothing. Lauren has used his personal fortune to amass a collection of rare and classic cars.

Early life• Lauren was born Ralph Lifschitz in Brooklyn, New York. Fascinated

with fashion from an early age, he dropped out of college and apprenticed in the fashion industry by working at various clothing companies. In 1967 he got a job at Beau Brummel, designing the wide neckties in bright colors for which he would first become famous. By 1968 he launched his own line of men's clothes, which he called Polo. With the name Polo, Lauren said much about his design philosophy. The game of polo was associated with rich Europeans, and Lauren's designs came from classic European traditions. Often referred to as "preppy English tweed" style, or "American country" style, Lauren's early designs, which included a variety of casual and semiformal wear, were updated versions of basic designs, sewn in classic materials, such as wool tweed and corduroy.

• Besides his clothing, Lauren made other contributions to the fashion world. He licensed his designs (sold the right to manufacture them) to a range of clothing companies as long as the clothes bore his name, and he also branched out into many different areas of design. Following the success of his men's clothing line, Lauren introduced a line of women's clothes, followed by cosmetics, perfumes, bath towels, bed sheets, and even house paint, all with the unmistakable Lauren quality of traditional elegance. Though some have accused Lauren of being unoriginal and boring, many men and women find his designs to be comfortable and dependable. Other famous designers, such as Donna Karan (1948–) and Bill Blass (1922–2002), have praised Lauren for his contributions to classic style.

• Another side of Lauren is seen in his Roughwear clothing. Directly inspired by the tradition of America's past, Roughwear takes the form of long tweed or plain skirts combined with colorful, hand-knitted, Fair Isle or sampler sweaters, tartan scarves, trilby hats, and lumber-jack's wind cheaters and brushed cotton shirts. The origins are easy to trace, but the result is an updated, truly American style. Romantic touches of Edwardian and Victorian times occur in lace-trimmed jabots and large collars delicately held together with aging cameo brooches. Shades of the classic English riding costume appear in his tailored tweed jackets. Lauren's contribution to fashion can perhaps best be summed up on the names that he gave to his cosmetics introduced in 1981: Day, Night, and Active.

Ralph Lauren Logo• The iconic Ralph Lauren logo depicts a polo horseman. It started

appearing in New York City newspapers in early 1974. The Ralph Lauren logo gives a very clear perception of the rich, proud American look and tradition. The emblem is a prime example of an expressive logo that evokes feelings of pride, elitism and the spirit to enjoy the lifestyle-oriented “good life”.

• The Ralph Lauren logo has become one of the most popular logos in fashion and is trademarked in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Color of the Ralph Lauren Logo:• The two basic colors in the Ralph Lauren logo; white and black,

are representative of elegance, prestige and refinement of the brand.

Timeline• 1967

Lauren's ties appear in Neiman Marcus and other department stores.

• 1971The designer branches out, introducing his first women's line and opening his first store in Beverly Hills.

• 1972 The Polo shirt is born.

• 1974 The Great Gatsby, with costumes by Lauren, sparks a Jazz Age fashion trend.

• 1977 Lauren designs clothes for both Diane Keaton and Woody Allen in Annie Hall.

• 1978 The city boy goes cowboy with his "Westernwear" collection.

• 1981 Polo Ralph Lauren opens its first international store, on London's Bond Street.

• 1983 Lauren continues to diversify his athletic-inspired designs.

• 1985 The company makes inroads in the denim market with its "Dungarees" campaign.

• 1989 The Polo flag sweater is introduced.

• 1990Lauren tees off with Polo Golf.

• 1991 The company runs its influential "University Club" advertisements.

• 1993 The designer introduces Double RL, a line of casual wear named after his Colorado ranch.

• 1993 Polo Sport launches.

• 1994Lauren unveils Purple Label, his take on classic Savile Row tailoring.

• 1997 Polo Ralph Lauren goes public on the New York Stock Exchange.

• 2003 The launch of Project G.I.V.E., the company's attempt to promote volunteerism.

• 2005 As an official sponsor at the U.S. Open, Lauren supersizes his logo.

• 2006 Polo is named the first official outfitter of Wimbledon. Boris Becker models a jacket.

• 2007 Polo sponsors its first-ever polo team, the Black Watch.

• 2007French President Nicolas Sarkozy tries Polo Sport on for size.

• 2010 In 2010, Ralph Lauren was declared Chevalier de

la Legion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris.

Ralph Lauren Fabrics

Famous Polo T-shirts

Lifestyle

Accessories

Perfumes

Footwear

Ralph Lauren fall 2003

Ralph Lauren Collection for Spring 2009.

Ralph Lauren Spring and Summer 2009

Ralph Lauren Spring 2010

Ralph Lauren fall 2012

Ralph Lauren fall 2013

Ralph Lauren Collection Resort 2014

Ralph Lauren Magazine

Ralph Lauren Advertisement

Bibliography

• http://www.biography.com/people/ralph-lauren-9374814

• http://www.famouslogos.us/ralph-lauren-logo/

• http://www.esquire.com/style/laurenmoments1107-2

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Lauren

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