As the diamond jubilee of his birth draws to a close, Ralph Lauren has announced that he is stepping down as chief executive of his eponymous label, so we thought it time to celebrate the man whose company swelled to become more than a brand or a concept. It is the first true lifestyle empire.
With interests spanning clothing for men, women and children, fragrances and accessories, it was as far back as 1982 that Lauren launched his classic home-furnishings division, thereby paving the way for countless other fashion crossovers such as those with Armani, Fendi and Bottega Veneta. Despite having no formal training, he remains the only designer ever to have won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's four top honours: the Lifetime Achievement Award, Womenswear Designer of the Year, Menswear Designer of the Year and Retailer of the Year.
His collection of vintage cars is so exceptional that Paris's Musée des Arts Décoratifs hosted an exhibition featuring them. One of those cars, the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, even managed the extraordinary feat of winning the Concours d'Elégance at both Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este.
Famous for having once said, "I don't design clothes, I design dreams," Lauren, né Ralph Lifschitz, has always looked to purvey a lifestyle rather than merely a fashion label, and he has even ventured into restaurants in this pursuit, first in Chicago, then Paris and most recently New York.
Not only has he been happily married for over fifty years, which is quite unusual among the industry's upper echelon, he has even named the brand's most famous handbag, the Ricky, after his wife. The must-have accessory, made by hand in Italy from fifty separate pieces of leather, can cost as much as a small fortune.
