Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is a famous clothes maker.

He started by selling ties. Later, he made a line of clothes called Polo. These clothes have a small polo player on them.

He also makes smells for people to wear. These are called fragrances. He even has his own restaurants. Ralph Lauren helps many people, too. He gives money to help people fight sickness.

He is a very successful man.

Ralph Lauren is a famous American fashion designer.

He was born in New York in 1939. He grew up in the Bronx.

Lauren started his business in 1967. He began by selling men's ties. Later, he made a line called Polo.

These clothes often have a polo player logo. This logo shows a person playing polo. In 1972, he made a cotton mesh shirt. This shirt became very popular. He also makes fragrances, which are special scents people wear.

Lauren is also a collector of cars. He owns many rare and expensive cars.

Some of his cars have won big awards.

He uses his wealth to help others. He gives much money to help people fight cancer. He also helps save old things, like the original Star-Spangled Banner flag.

In 2025, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a very high honor in the United States.

Ralph Lauren is a famous American fashion designer and businessman.

He is known for building a huge global company. His brand is worth many billions of dollars. Lauren was born on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx, New York. His parents were immigrants from Pinsk, Belarus. His father was an artist and his mother was a house painter.

He grew up with two brothers and one sister. At age 16, he and his brother changed their last name to Lauren. They did this because they faced bullying at school.

Lauren's career began with small steps in the clothing world. He worked as a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers. Later, he was a salesman for a company called Rivetz. He sold neckties to help people look nice. At age 28, he convinced a company president to let him start his own line. He launched The Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967 with men's ties. He even worked out of a single drawer in a building called the Empire State Building. He delivered the ties to stores all by himself.

The brand grew very fast through many new ideas. In 1968, he named his first menswear line Polo. In 1971, he launched shirts for women. These shirts featured the polo player emblem on the cuff. By 1972, he introduced a famous cotton mesh Polo shirt. This shirt became a key part of a style called "preppy." He also began making fragrances, which are special scents. In 1978, he released a scent for women and a cologne for men at the same time.

Lauren is also a very famous collector of rare automobiles. His collection includes about 100 cars. Some of these cars are extremely hard to find. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. His cars have won "Best of Show" awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. He won this big award in 1990 and again in 1993. His car collection was even worth $600 million in 2017.

Besides fashion and cars, Lauren uses his money to help many people. He is a philanthropist, which means he gives money to help others. He has given a lot of support to fight cancer. He helped start the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research in 1989. He also helped save the original Star-Spangled Banner flag in 1998. This flag inspired the United States National Anthem. In January 2025, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest honors in the United States.

Ralph Lauren is a prominent American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman.

He is most famous for founding the Ralph Lauren Corporation, which has grown into a massive global enterprise. While he stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in September 2015, he continues to serve as the executive chairman and chief creative officer. As of May 2025, his personal net worth is estimated to be approximately US$11.9 billion. His work has shaped modern fashion through distinct styles and a vast range of products.

Lauren's journey began in the Bronx, New York, where he was born on October 14, 1939. His parents, Frieda and Frank Lifshitz, were Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Pinsk, Belarus. His father worked as an artist and a house painter. Growing up as the youngest of four siblings, Lauren faced challenges during his school years. At age 16, he and his brother George legally changed their surname from Lifshitz to Lauren to avoid bullying. He later attended Baruch College to study business but left after two years. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.

His professional career started with practical experience in the garment industry. After serving in the United States Army from 1962 to 1964, he worked as a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers. He then became a salesman for a necktie company called Rivetz. At age 28, while working for the manufacturer Beau Brummell, he persuaded the company president to let him create his own line. In 1967, he launched The Ralph Lauren Corporation, starting specifically with men's ties. In the early days, he operated out of a single drawer in a showroom within the Empire State Building and delivered products to stores himself.

The brand expanded rapidly through strategic product launches and iconic imagery. In 1968, he named his first menswear line "Polo." By 1971, the corporation introduced tailored shirts for women, which featured the polo player emblem on the cuff for the first time. In 1972, he introduced a signature cotton mesh Polo shirt. This shirt, featuring the polo player logo on the chest, became a symbol of the "preppy" look. Lauren also revolutionized the fragrance industry in March 1978. He was the first designer to launch a fragrance for women and a cologne for men simultaneously.

The company's physical presence grew to include massive flagship stores and luxury experiences. In 1981, the brand went international by opening a store on New Bond Street in London. In 1986, Lauren opened his first flagship store in the Rhinelander mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City.

The company has since expanded into diverse categories, including the Polo Sport line in 1992 and the Ralph Lauren Purple Label in 1995. The brand even moved into hospitality, opening restaurants like "RL" in Chicago in 1999, "Ralph's" in Paris in 2010, and "The Polo Bar" in New York in 2015.

Beyond fashion, Lauren is a renowned collector of rare and valuable automobiles. His collection includes approximately 100 cars, with a value estimated at $600 million in 2017. His garage holds legendary vehicles such as a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. His collection has earned significant prestige, winning "Best of Show" at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1990 and 1993. His automotive interests have been shared with the public through exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Lauren also dedicates significant resources to philanthropy, particularly in the fight against cancer. In 1989, he co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Hospital. He also created the "Fashion Targets Breast Cancer" initiative in 1994 to raise global awareness and funds. His contributions extend to historical preservation, such as his $10 million gift in 1998 to help save the original Star-Spangled Banner. In recognition of his immense contributions to society, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025.