Ralph Lauren, el sueño americano de la moda

Ralph Lauren, the American fashion dream, was never interested in being fashionable himself. He once said, "If you're fashionable, you'll soon be out of fashion," a sentiment that perfectly encapsulated his approach to the textile industry. Rather than following fleeting trends, Lauren focused on anticipating them, or, as he did time and again throughout his career, creating and shaping them.

In the 1970s, his designs became a symbol of social status and belonging, marking a shift in consumer desires. While they valued quality pieces like polo shirts and sport coats, they also sought to project a specific image of themselves. Lauren understood this better than anyone, realizing that consumers wanted to project a particular self-image without sacrificing the aspirational nature of his creations.

He achieved this by reinterpreting the preppy style, originally associated with students from the most elite American universities, into an elegant, timeless, and globally recognizable look. This, along with the rest of his designs, established him as the most influential designer of his generation. At least in terms of numbers.

His company, the only one on the Fortune 500 list bearing the name and last name of a living founder, is currently valued at over $20 billion, with a net worth of $15.5 billion that surpasses that of icons like Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger. Despite the passage of time and the ever-changing culture around him, Ralph Lauren has remained innovative, modern, and relevant, as his friend Steven Spielberg noted in 2023.

Born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrant parents from Belarus, who fled to America seeking a better life, Lauren moved away from the fashion capitals of Paris and Milan. His parents, having crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life, settled in the Bronx. The young Lauren developed an early interest in fashion, working at a gentlemen's glove shop while in high school to earn extra income.

His ambition to succeed in the fashion world was evident in his high school yearbook, where he wrote that he aspired to become a millionaire. This ambition was evident in his high school yearbook entry, where he wrote that he aspired to become a millionaire. It was a joke, but as one of his siblings later revealed, he had always been driven by the desire to have more.

After serving in the army from 1962 to 1964, he briefly worked as a sales clerk for ties before moving on to design and sell them under his own name at the Empire State Building. These were wider than usual US ties, with a European style that made them stand out from the fashion-savvy clientele. The turning point in his career came when luxury department store Bloomingdale's agreed to sell his designs, initially requesting narrower cuts and the removal of the Polo brand.

However, Lauren refused, which significantly boosted his reputation. This led to the launch of his first full collection, with the main success being his meticulously tailored shirts, and the commission to design the wardrobe for the film The Great Gatsby (1974). Twenty-three years later, his colleague was responsible for the company's most successful IPO to date, surpassing even Michael Kors's debut in 2011.

Lauren served as CEO until 2015, when he stepped down to enjoy his Double RL ranch in Colorado, named after himself and his wife, Ricky. The ranch covers 6,800 hectares and is home to 1,000 head of cattle. In 1994, Ralph sold 28% of his company to Goldman Sachs for $135 million, before the company went public three years later. Who is he?

Ralph Lauren. New York, USA (born 14/07/1939). Career. Son of Jewish immigrants, he was born in the Bronx in 1939 and began his career selling men's gloves. After two years in the army, he started designing and selling his own ties at the Empire State Building. The turning point in his career came when Bloomingdale's agreed to sell his designs without removing the Polo brand.

His success allowed him to launch complete collections and build a company that eventually went public on the New York Stock Exchange. His legacy lies in transforming clothing into a symbol of status, identity, and lifestyle, while making luxury more accessible to a broader audience and building a brand that made him the richest designer in the world.