History and background of Ralph Lauren"The first image-maker", according to New York magazine, Lauren is one of the fashion industry's biggest hitters. But Lauren studied business science and served his time in the army before breaking into fashion.
Lauren's empire was founded in 1967, after he opened his first ever tie shop, with no formal design training. Next came menswear and, in 1971, Lauren introduced his women's label. The chic, preppy look of his designer collections is now complemented by the whole gamut of sportswear, casualwear and home furnishings.
Lauren's fashion empire, which floated on the US stockmarket in 1997, now includes such brands as Polo Ralph Lauren, Polo Sport and the Ralph Lauren Collection. In 1999, the silver-haired designer broke into the "entertainment" business, too, with a walk-on part on TV sitcom Friends. He followed this up, at the beginning of the new millennium, by signing a landmark 30-year deal with NBC and two NBC affiliates to sell his designer "lifestyle" on the Internet, on TV and in print. "We dont only sell clothes," he said at the time, "we are selling a dream and a vision." Lauren is married to Ricky and home is Bedford, Connecticut.
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