Ralph Lauren Fashion

Originally Ralph Lipschitz from the Bronx, New York, the world famous fashion designer came from a family that was completely unlike the upper crest Ralph Lauren “polo club set” that his clothing would eventually allude to.

His father was a house painter, and he and his brother attended the local public school. Young Ralph was concerned about his school attire, and began taking odd jobs to buy a very few high quality fashion suits to wear to his classes. Immediately he gained a trendy reputation with his classmates and a fashion designer in the making was created.

After high school, both Ralph and his brother changed their last names to Lauren, and from 1962 to 1964 he was in the US Army. Soon after he married and secured a $50,000 loan to start his own fashion design company, believing that a few expensive, high quality suits made the man rather than many cheap suits. This idea still hold true today for buyers of the fashion designer’s wares, and his reputation has stood the test of time with his suits. Ralph Lauren polo and upscale dress suits became the distinctive name for any up and coming business man, and have continued to this day.

Polo Ralph Lauren added another brand name to the already popular line - Ralph Lauren Rugby - and by 1990 was trading on the New York stock exchange. Eventually he added a women's collection to his fashion line and began to add accessories. This was an instant hit with the fashion-hungry corporate businessman-women. The accessories concept became very popular too - Ralph Lauren sunglasses are still the big must-have on the celebrity scene.

Ralph Lauren perfume is very popular, and now there is Ralph Lauren furniture and luggage. Pretty good for a young man who had to fight with his parents over changing his last name; they though he was being disrespectful to his Jewish ancestry, but the future fashion designer thought he wouldn't succeed in business unless he did so.

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