Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer born in New York city in 1939 as Ralph Lifshitz. He attended Clinton high school where he was know for selling ties to fellow classmates. At the age of 16, he changed his name due to the fact that it had the word "shit" in it and people would make fun of him for it. He attended Baruch College where he studied business. Two years later though, he dropped out. After serving in the United States army from 1962 to 1964, he worked for Brooks Brothers as a sales assistant, then later for a tie company. At the age of 26, he was inspired to design a European style necktie, but it was rejected by the company he was working for. He then left and started his own company out of a drawer in the Empire State Building taking rags and turning them into ties. He sold them to small shops until a turning point came when Neiman Marcus purchased 100 dozen from him.
Lauren opened up his own necktie store using the Brooks Brothers label "Polo." He then began designing men and women's suits. In 1967 he designed the Polo to make himself more comfortable at a tennis match. He gained much recognition when he was asked to design clothing for the 1974 movie The Great Gatsby.
Polo Ralph Lauren is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. The brand produces clothing, accessories, footwear, fragrances, and furniture. Forbes estimated Ralph Lauren's wealth at 7 billion dollars.
Shown below is Ralph Lauren himself followed by some Ralph Lauren products.
Lauren opened up his own necktie store using the Brooks Brothers label "Polo." He then began designing men and women's suits. In 1967 he designed the Polo to make himself more comfortable at a tennis match. He gained much recognition when he was asked to design clothing for the 1974 movie The Great Gatsby.
Polo Ralph Lauren is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. The brand produces clothing, accessories, footwear, fragrances, and furniture. Forbes estimated Ralph Lauren's wealth at 7 billion dollars.
Shown below is Ralph Lauren himself followed by some Ralph Lauren products.
Citations:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Lauren
- http://casualdays.net/polo-ralph-lauren/