Ralph Lauren (/ˈlɔːrən/ LOR-ən; né Lifshitz; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his collection of rare automobiles, some of which have been displayed in museum exhibits. He stepped down as CEO of the company in September 2015 but remains executive chairman and chief creative officer.[1] As of April 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$6.9 billion.[2]
Early life
Lauren was born on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx, New York City,[3][4] to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants[5][6][7][8] Frieda (Cutler) and Frank Lifshitz, an artist and house painter,[9][10] from Pinsk, Second Polish Republic, now Belarus.[11][12] His mother was from Drohiczyn, Poland. The youngest of four siblings,[13][14] he has two brothers and one sister. At age 16, he legally changed his second name from Lifshitz to Lauren along with his brother George Poitras Lauren, due to bullying at school.[15] His choice of the name followed his older brother Jerry Lauren, who had first done so after experiencing bullying in the U.S. Air Force.[16]
Lauren attended day school followed by the Manhattan Talmudical Academy, before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.[17] He went to Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY), where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years.[18]
He was one of several design leaders raised in the Jewish community in the Bronx, along with Calvin Klein and Robert Denning.[19][20]
Career
Early career
From 1962 to 1964 Lauren served in the United States Army. After his discharge, he worked briefly for Brooks Brothers as a sales assistant before becoming a salesman for Rivetz, a necktie company.[21] At age 28, working for tie manufacturer Beau Brummell, Lauren convinced the company president to let him start his own line. He launched The Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967 with men's ties. [22]
Polo
Main article: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Drawing on his interests in sports, 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.[23] By 1969, the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's sold Lauren's men's line exclusively. It was the first time that Bloomingdale's had given a designer their own in-store boutique.[citation needed]
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 introduced 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. In 1971 Lauren also opened a store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California; this was the first freestanding store for an American designer.[24]
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 tagline for the ad campaign was: "Every team has its color – Polo has seventeen."[25]
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.[26]
Fragrance
Lauren in his office in 1978
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 had 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.[citation needed]
Later 20th century
A Polo Ralph Lauren store on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago
Ralph Lauren opened his first flagship in the Rhinelander mansion, on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street in New York City in 1986. Lauren re-created the building's original opulence with a young design consultant named Naomi Leff, with whom he had previously worked on Ralph Lauren Home.[27] 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.[citation needed]
On June 12, 1997, the company became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.[28]
The 98-seat restaurant RL opened in March 1999 in Chicago 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.[29]
Newbury Street Boston Ralph Lauren Store located at 93-95 Newbury Street, Back Bay Boston
Later years
The company launched its website 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 September 29, 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.[30][31]
Lauren has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including Architectural Digest, GQ, Forbes, Town & Country, TIME and Vogue.[citation needed]
Lauren celebrated the 50th anniversary of his brand in a fashion show at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park on September 8, 2018. Attendees included Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Kanye West, Robert DeNiro, and Jessica Chastain.[32]
Personal life
Family
On December 20, 1964, Lauren married Ricky Ann Loew-Beer in New York City. She is the daughter of Margaret Vytouch and Rudolph Loew-Beer. The two had met six months earlier, in a doctor's office where she was working as a receptionist and on alternate days teaching dance.[33] She is the author of The Hamptons: Food, Family and History.[34]
They have three children: Andrew Lauren (b. 1969), a film producer and actor;[35] David Lauren (b. 1971), an executive vice president at Ralph Lauren Corporation;[citation needed] and Dylan Lauren (b. 1974).[citation needed] In September 2011, David married Lauren Bush, granddaughter of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush.[36] Lauren and David have two children and live in Manhattan.[37] Dylan Lauren, owner of Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City, was married in June 2011 to hedge fund manager Paul Arrouet.[38] Dylan and Paul welcomed twins on April 13, 2015, via surrogate in New York City.[39]
In April 1987, Ralph Lauren underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor and made a full recovery.[40]
Lauren owns a 17,000-acre cattle ranch in Ridgway, Colorado,[41] and a 17,000 sq foot manor built in 1919 in Bedford, New York.[42]
Automobile collection
Ralph Lauren with his Porsche GT3 RS (2010)
Ralph Lauren is well known as a collector of automobiles,[43] with about 100 automobiles, some being extremely rare. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, two Ferrari TRs, three 1996 McLaren F1s (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 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Gangloff, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a Bugatti Veyron, a 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" (aka "The Black Prince"), a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia.[44] and a rare Lamborghini Reventón Roadster.
His cars have won "Best of Show" at the 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.[45] Seventeen cars from his collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, in 2011.[46] In 2017, Lauren's now $600 million dollar car collection took center stage during New York Fashion Week.
Philanthropy
Lauren stated in May 2014, "I hate when people call me philanthropic because I see it as more coming from the heart."[47]
In 1989, Lauren 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.[48] He served as chairman and created the name and symbol for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, a charitable initiative of the CFDA that founded in 1994 that marshals the goodwill and services of the fashion industry to raise public awareness and funds for breast cancer internationally.[49]
In 2000, the Ralph Lauren Corporation launched its Volunteer Program, which energizes employees and creates meaningful connections with the communities in which they work.[50] On Friday, September 15, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched 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.[51]
The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation established the American Heroes Fund following the September 11th attacks to allow Polo's 10,000 employees worldwide, as well as their customers, the opportunity to participate in the relief effort.[52]
In 2003, Lauren supported the establishment 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.[53]
The Polo Fashion School was established in 2004, in which Company executives work with inner-city youth to offer insights into the fashion business.[54] 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.[55]
The Star-Spangled Banner, the original 1813 flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the United States 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.[56]
Ralph Lauren Corporation announced in July 2013 its commitment to restore the elite École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, one of the most influential art schools in France.[57]
In 2014, the Ralph Lauren Corporation partnered with the Royal Marsden, the largest and most comprehensive cancer center in Europe, to develop a world-class breast cancer research facility.[58] They opened the Royal Marsden Ralph Lauren Center for Breast Cancer Research in 2016.[59]
In 2023, the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention was opened at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown University.[60]
Politics
As recently as 2012, with a $35,800 donation to the Obama Victory Fund, Lauren made regular small donations to U.S. Democratic candidates.[61]
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.[62]
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.[63]
1974 Ralph Lauren wins his first Coty "Winnie" Award for womenswear.[64]
1975 Ralph Lauren wins the American Fashion Award. (Council of Fashion Designers of America)[65]
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.
1977 Ralph Lauren receives the Coty Hall of Fame award for womenswear.[66]
1979 Ralph Lauren receives his first special citation at the 1979 Coty Awards for his direct influence in establishing American fashion on a worldwide basis.[67]
1981 At the first Council of Fashion Designers of America award ceremony, Ralph Lauren wins his first CFDA Fashion Award.[68]
1985 Ralph Lauren receives the Menswear Association of America's Designer Achievement Award.[69]
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.[70]
1988 Pratt Institute awards Ralph Lauren with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.[71]
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.[72][73]
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.[74]
1995 Ralph Lauren receives the CFDA award for Womenswear Designer of the Year.[75]
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.[76]
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.[77]
1996 Ralph Lauren receives the CFDA award for Menswear Designer of the Year.[62]
1997 Ralph Lauren wins CFDA's Award for Humanitarian Leadership in recognition of his commitment to fighting breast cancer.[78]
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)[79]
2003 Ralph Lauren Corporation receives a Restore America Heroes award from The National Trust for Historic Preservation.[80]
2007 Ralph Lauren wins the American Fashion Legend Award, presented by Oprah Winfrey on June 4 at the CFDA Awards, held at the New York Public Library.[81]
2009 Ralph Lauren wins the CFDA's newly created "Popular Vote Award". The award is given to the designer who receives the most votes cast online by the public.[82]
2010 Mayor Michael Bloomberg presents Ralph Lauren with a key to the city of New York.[83]
2010 In a private ceremony at the Élysée Palace, Ralph Lauren receives the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur from Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic of France, in recognition of his contributions as a designer, business leader, and philanthropist.[84]
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."[85]
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.[86]
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 Clinton when she served as First Lady.[87]
2016 Ralph Lauren and Leonardo DiCaprio were honored at the 50th Anniversary Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball at Chelsea Piers in New York City.[88]
2016 Ralph Lauren received Women's Wear Daily's inaugural John B. Fairchild Honor.[89]
2017 Appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[90][91] On June 20, 2019, in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace he received the award from Prince Charles.[92]
See also
List of swimwear brands
Further reading
Gross, Michael. Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren. Harper, New York 2003.
Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. Ralph Lauren: The Man behind the Mystique. Little, Brown and Company New York 1981.
McDowell, Colin. Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style. Rizzoli, New York 2002.
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. The company is headquartered in New York City, producing products ranging from the mid-range to the luxury segments. They are known for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. The company's brands include the mid-range Chaps brand, to the sub-premium Lauren Ralph Lauren brand, to the premium Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, and Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren brands, up to the full luxury Ralph Lauren Purple Label and Ralph Lauren Collection brands. Ralph Lauren licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear; L'Oréal for fragrances and cosmetics; Hanesbrands for underwear and sleepwear; O5 Apparel for its Chaps brand; Kohl's and Hollander Sleep Products for bedding; Designers Guild for fabric and wallpaper; and EJ Victor for home furniture.[4]
History
Polo Ralph Lauren – the flagship brand of the company.
Ralph Lauren was one of several design leaders raised in the Jewish community in the Bronx, along with Calvin Klein and Robert Denning.[5][6]
Lauren started The Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967 with men's ties. At 28 years-old, Lauren worked for the tie manufacturer Beau Brummell. He persuaded the company's president to let him start his own line. Drawing on his interests in sports, 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.[7]
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 his own in-store shop. In 1971, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched a line of tailored shirts for women, introducing the Polo player emblem on the shirt cuff. The first full women's collection was launched the following year.[8]
1972 marked the opening of Ralph Lauren's store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, his first freestanding store.[9] In 1972, Lauren released a short-sleeve cotton shirt in 24 colors. This design, emblazoned with the company's famed logo—that of a polo player, became the brand's signature look. In 1977 Ralph Lauren Corporation introduced a signature cotton mesh polo shirt in various colours, featuring the polo player logo on the chest.
In 1974, Ralph Lauren outfitted the male cast of The Great Gatsby in costumes chosen 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 in the Oscar-winning film, Annie Hall.[10]
In 1978, the first Ralph Lauren fragrances, produced by Warner-Lauren, Ltd were launched at Bloomingdale's. Lauren for women, and Polo the men's cologne. This was the first time that a designer introduced two fragrances – one for men and one for women – simultaneously.[8]
The company entered the European market and went international in 1981 with the opening of the first freestanding store in New Bond Street in the West End of London, England. Lauren opened his first flagship in the Rhinelander mansion on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street in New York City in 1986.[11] On June 12, 1997, the company becomes a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.[12]
The 98-seat restaurant, RL, opened in March 1999 in Chicago adjacent to its largest and world flagship Ralph Lauren store at the corner of Chicago and Michigan Avenues on the Magnificent Mile.[13] It was followed by the opening of two additional restaurants – Ralph's at 173 Boulevard Saint Germain Paris store in 2010 and The Polo Bar at Polo's store in New York in 2015.[14]
The company launched its website 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 website was relaunched as ralphlauren.com. In September 2015, it was announced that Stefan Larsson would replace the company's founder, Ralph Lauren, as CEO in November. Lauren stayed on as executive chairman and chief creative officer.[15][16]
In February 2017, it was announced that Larsson had agreed to leave his position as CEO effective May 1, 2017 due to differences with Lauren.[17] On May 17, 2017, Ralph Lauren named Patrice Louvet President and Chief Executive Officer.[18] Louvet most recently served as Group President, Global Beauty at Procter & Gamble (P&G).[19] He took over on July 17, 2017.[20][21][22]
In October 2020, Ralph Lauren Corporation announced that it would transition its Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model to focus on its core brands, reduce its direct exposure to the North American department store channel, and setting up the Chaps brand to be nurtured with an experienced partner.[23] Also in October, Ralph Lauren Corporation has appointed former Obama administration consultant Valerie Jarrett to the board of directors.[24][25]
In May 2021, Ralph Lauren Corporation announced it would sell its Club Monaco brand to private equity firm Regent LP.[26]
Brands
A woolen Polo Ralph Lauren scarf
Ralph Lauren Women's Collection and Ralph Lauren Purple Label: Ralph Lauren Collection for women, launched in 1971, ranges from handmade evening gowns to sportswear. Launched in 1994, Ralph Lauren Purple Label[27] for men offers suiting, custom tailored made-to-measure suits and sportswear, as well as benchmade footwear and made-to-order dress furnishings, accessories, and luggage.[28]
Ralph Lauren Watches and Fine Jewelry: In 2009 Ralph Lauren, together with luxury group Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, launched a collection of timepieces through the Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co. In 2010, the Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co. also introduced collections of jewelry.[29]
Ralph by Ralph Lauren: Launched in 1994, Ralph by Ralph Lauren offers suit separates, sport coats, vests, and topcoats.[30]
Polo Ralph Lauren: Men's Polo, Ralph Lauren's first complete line of sportswear and tailored clothing launched in 1967. In 2014, Women's Polo was launched.[31]
Polo Sport: Polo Sport launched in 1992, a line of activewear for sports and fitness. In 2014, Ralph Lauren debuted the PoloTech Shirt, which featured smart fabric technology that supposedly "captures robust biometrics from the wearer".[32]
Double RL: Founded in 1993 and named after Ralph Lauren and his wife Ricky's “RRL” ranch in Colorado, RRL offers men a mix of selvage denim, vintage apparel, sportswear and accessories, with roots in workwear and military gear.[33]
Lauren Ralph Lauren: Lauren for Women launched in 1996, offering sportswear, denim, dresses, activewear, and accessories and footwear at a cheaper price point. Lauren for Men offers men's tailored clothing, including suits, sport coats, dress shirts, dress pants, tuxedos, topcoats, and ties at a cheaper price point.[34] This brand generally slots above Chaps in price, but below Polo Ralph Lauren.
Polo Golf and RLX Golf: Polo Golf launched in 1990 and RLX Golf launched in 1998.[35]
Pink Pony: Established in 2000, a percentage of sales from all Pink Pony products benefit the Pink Pony Fund and other major cancer charities around the world. Pink Pony primarily consists of women's sportswear and accessories. All Pink Pony items feature a pink Polo Player.[36]
Polo Ralph Lauren Children: Items include polo knit shirts and cashmere cable sweaters.[37]
Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren: The Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren line launched in 2011, inspired by the warehouse and artist communities of Brooklyn, New York, and authentic style found in the music festival scene.[38] Denim & Supply was discontinued in September 2016.
Chaps: A mid-range brand featuring men's casual sportswear.[39] The brand previously also offered women's clothing until it was discontinued in early 2022. The Chaps brand is available primarily at Belk, Boscov's, Hudson's Bay and Meijer stores (and until the end of 2021, Kohl's stores), and is priced to compete with Authentic Brands Group's/Centric Brands' Izod brand. The brand can also occasionally be found at several off-price stores such as Ross, T.J. Maxx, Macy's Backstage, and Nordstrom Rack. Since Fall 2021 the brand has also been available at Walmart. The brand is currently licensed to O5 Apparel.[40]
American Living: Ralph Lauren launched American Living for men and women in 2008, a mid-range lifestyle brand created exclusively for JCPenney.[41] This line was comparable to the Chaps line, but was marketed as a more exclusive line, unlike Chaps which is sold at multiple retailers. This line was discontinued in 2012 due to poor sales. A second American Living line was sold at Macy's; this American Living line only included women's clothing and was discontinued in 2019.
Ralph Lauren Home and Paint: Ralph Lauren Home, the first complete home collection from an American clothing designer, makes its debut in 1983 with home furnishings and accessories. Ralph Lauren Home includes furniture, bed and bath linens, china, crystal, silver, decorative accessories and gifts, as well as lighting, fabric, wall covering, and floor covering. Ralph Lauren launched Paint in 1995, now with over 400 palettes.[42]
Fragrance: In 1978, Ralph Lauren launched his first fragrances: Lauren for women and Polo for men. Originally produced by Warner-Lauren, Ltd, L’Oréal now produces the Ralph Lauren Fragrances for men and women, including World of Polo (Polo, Polo Blue, Polo Black, Polo Red), Ralph Lauren Romance, Midnight Romance and the Big Pony Collections For Women and For Men.[43]
Ralph Lauren Restaurants: RL Restaurant Chicago opened in 1999, adjacent to its largest Ralph Lauren flagship store in the world on Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile. In 2010, Ralph's was opened in the courtyard and converted stables at 173 Boulevard Saint Germain Paris flagship store. In August 2014, Ralph's Coffee opened on the second floor of the Polo Flagship store in New York City. The Polo Bar, adjacent to the New York City Polo Flagship store, opened in January 2015.[44]
Stores
The Ralph Lauren flagship store occupying the Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City
Ralph Lauren store on Madison Avenue in New York City
The Company ended Fiscal 2016 with 493 directly operated stores: 144 Ralph Lauren stores, 77 Club Monaco stores and 272 Polo factory stores. The company also operated 583 concession shop locations worldwide at the end of the year.[45]
Children's clothing at department store Smith & Caughey's Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand
In addition to Company-operated locations, international licensing partners operated 93 Ralph Lauren stores and 42 dedicated shops, as well as 133 Club Monaco stores and shops at the end of Fiscal 2016.
Ralph Lauren operates its representative flagship stores in New York City on Madison Avenue – for menswear in the former Rhinelander Mansion, and for womenswear and home in another structure, across the street, which opened in 2010. The company also manages flagships, for retailing Ralph Lauren collections, in Chicago, Manhasset, Greenwich (USA), London, Milan, Tokyo, Moscow, Kyiv and Paris.[46]
Sports sponsorships
USTA
In 2005, The United States Tennis Association selects Ralph Lauren Corporation as the official apparel sponsor for the U.S. Open. As part of the partnership, all on-court ball persons and officials were dressed in specially-designed Ralph Lauren apparel. This was Polo's first tennis sponsorship.[47]
Wimbledon
In 2006, Ralph Lauren Corporation became the official outfitter of Wimbledon. Lauren is the first designer in the tennis tournament's history to be chosen to create uniforms for all on-court officials.[48][49]
Australian Open
In 2020, Ralph Lauren Corporation became the official outfitter of the Australian Open.[50]
U.S. Olympic Team
Ralph Lauren Corporation is the exclusive Official Parade Outfitter for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, with the right to manufacture, distribute, advertise, promote, and sell products in the U.S. which replicate the Parade Outfits and associated leisure wear. The company has established a partnership with athletes serving as brand ambassadors and as the faces of the advertising, marketing, and public relations campaigns.[51][52]
Ralph Lauren Corporation partners with the United States Olympic Committee to become an Official Outfitter of the U.S. Olympic Team, for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[53]
Ralph Lauren designs the official Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony parade outfits for the U.S. teams in addition to an assortment of village-wear apparel and accessories.[54]
Previously, the corporation received negative press when it was found to have sourced the clothing it supplied to the 2012 athletes from China,[55] so it vowed to source everything it produced for the 2014 Olympics from the US. Kraemer Textiles Inc. spun around 6,000 pounds[56][57] of Merino wool yarn from Imperial Stock Ranch in Oregon, which was then sent to Longview Yarns in North Carolina to be dyed. The clothing assembly was completed by Ball of Cotton in California. Ultimately, 40 American vendors were involved with production.[58]
Leadership
Executive Chairman: Ralph Lauren (since 1967)
Chief Executive Officer: Patrice Louvet (since 2017)
Former chief executives
Ralph Lauren (1967–2015)
Stefan Larsson (2015–2017)
Philanthropy
In 1989, it 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.[59]
In 1994, Ralph Lauren acted 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.[60]
In 2000, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched its Volunteer Program, which energises employees and creates meaningful connections with the communities in which they work.[61]
On September 15, 2000, Ralph Lauren Corporation launched 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.[62]
In 2001, the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation established the American Heroes Fund following September 11 to allow Polo's 10,000 employees worldwide, as well as their customers, the opportunity to participate in the relief effort.[63]
In 2003, Ralph Lauren established 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.[64]
In 2004, the Polo Fashion School was established, in which company executives work with inner-city youth to offer insights into the fashion business.[65]
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.[66]
In 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.[67]
In July 2013, Ralph Lauren Corporation announced its commitment to restore the elite École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, one of the most influential art schools in France.[68]
In 2014, Ralph Lauren Corporation partnered with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the largest and most comprehensive cancer center in Europe, to develop a world-class breast cancer research facility. In 2016, Ralph Lauren Corporation opened the Royal Marsden Ralph Lauren Center for Breast Cancer Research.[69]
In March 2020, Ralph Lauren Corporation donated $10m and started making isolation gowns and medical masks to support the COVID-19 fight.[70]
In May 2022, The Ralph Lauren Foundation announced $25 million worth of commitments to fund, expand or establish five Ralph Lauren cancer centers. The commitment will benefit institutions with a National Cancer institute (NCI) designation, including Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) ralph Lauren Center and three additional locations.[71]
Controversy
Levi Strauss lawsuit
Levi Strauss & Co. filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch and the RL Corporation in July 2007 for trademark infringement. It alleged that the separate retailers used Levi's trademarked pocket design of connected arches in the design of some of their respective products.[72]
South African Polo trademark issues
The Polo brand sold in South Africa is not affiliated with the Ralph Lauren brand. An independent South African company trademarked the Polo name and logo in South Africa.[73][74]
Filippa Hamilton photo controversy
In 2009, Ralph Lauren apologized for digitally retouching a photograph of model Filippa Hamilton to make her look thinner.[75] Hamilton also claims that she was fired by the company a few days later.[76]
Accusations of intellectual property violation by Cowichan Tribes
After branding the sale of sweaters online as "Cowichan", it was reported that Cowichan Tribes would take "steps to communicate with Ralph Lauren and ensure that our product and name is protected".[77] A petition through Change.org was set up to encourage Ralph Lauren to take action. This resulted in the product line being taken out of circulation and all mention of the name was removed from the Ralph Lauren website; there have been no further complaints from the Cowichan Tribe since.[citation needed]
Howard Smith
In March 2022, Howard Smith, Ralph Lauren Corp.'s chief commercial officer, resigned after a board investigation found that his actions had breached the company's code of conduct. The apparel said it “learned of concerns about Mr. Smith's personal behavior recently”, and the board of directors' audit committee initiated an independent investigation with the help of outside counsel. The firm didn't go into detail about the claims but said the inquiry found that Mr. Smith's actions broke the company's code of conduct and ethics and that his resignation was required.[78]
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