Ralph Lauren (0)

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lifshitz was born on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx , New York . Growing up in a middle - class Jewish family, Ralph and his three older brothers were raised by his mother , while his artist father painted houses.
Lauren's fashion sense was apparent at an early age when he would purchase expensive suits with the money he earned working at his after-school job. Although he knew he could find his clothes at a less expensive price, he made it a point to look stylish in his expensive threads -- and he has succeeded at looking cool in his attire since the age of 12.
Lauren studied business at City College in Manhattan, and dropped out short of receiving his business degree.
While working at A. Rivetz & Co., Lauren began designing wide ties, which spawned his first entrepreneurial career . With his tie designs and a $50,000 loan , Lauren founded the company Polo Fashions in 1968. Along with his older brother , he chose the name Polo because of the power , style and intrigue that the brand has always been associated with.
The Polo brand known today as the preppy English -tweed look it conveys did not get to be a million dollar empire because Lauren was lucky , nor because Lauren had an immaculate sense of style. Lauren not only had an innovative mind, but he also knew that packaging and presentation were of utmost importance -- something he didn't need to learn while studying for his business degree.
It is Lauren's innovativeness, among many other traits of the model businessman, that has made him the founder, designer and chairman of a $900 million company. Not only was he the first fashion designer to have his own store , but he was the first to sell the whole lifestyle image that consumers flock to worldwide . Lauren sells much more than clothes and home furnishings; he sells a lifestyle image of sophistication, class and taste .
Between school and his career move into the fashion industry, Lauren served in the United States Army from 1962-1964, and married Ricky Low- Beer after his army days. He is also the father of three children , Andrew, David and Dylan .