About Ralph Lauren Many people think they know the story of Ralph Lifshitz and how he was born in 1939 to relatively poor Jewish immigrant parents in the USA. He changed his name, and without any design education soon became a renowned fashion designer. Ralph Lauren built a phenomenally successful brand from scratch. He is far more successful than other Americans like Tory Burch, Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger or even Tom Ford. He became a multi-billionaire whose wealth has been estimated at $11 billion with one of the largest classic car collections in the world. He is 85 years of age but has been unable to conquer the ghosts of his childhood. Despite his immense material wealth, in the eyes of many, his life could be regarded as unprincipled and a failure. The Inside the Brand series 70+ books on luxury and premium fashion brands Established in 2011, the Fashion and Design Club is the preeminent place for networking with senior executives from renowned international luxury fashion brands. Our business events, conducted under the Chatham House rules, feature top speakers from these brands or luxury fashion experts, offeringunique insights and perspectives. The Club has commissioned the Inside the Brand book series. These books are a comprehensive resource meticulously designed to enhance the knowledge of fashion and design students. While assuming a basic understanding of a brand’s designs, these books delve deep into the brand’s evolution, ensuring a thorough and well-rounded understanding of a brand. All Inside the Brand books have been written from an independent perspective. Many of the books in this series contain information obtained by interviewing key people from the brands: creative directors, brand founders, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, investors, chairpersons and employees working in production, development, pattern cutting, sales, and marketing were also often interviewed. The views expressed in these books are those of the researchers and the editor and do not represent any member of the Fashion and Design Club. ‘Fair use’ for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research applies to the content of this publication. Fair use is permitted by copyright law as thecontent does not have a negative impact on the original form, it is intended for teaching purposes, and it is not transformative in nature. The Club extends its sincere appreciation to the sponsors whose generous support has made thesepublications possible. These books, independently funded, uphold the principle of impartiality, withno brand having commissioned, authorised, or financially supported them in any way. This commitment to fairness and objectivity is at the core of our values. Over 40 books have been published, with many more expected over the next two years. The Ralph Lauren brand received several drafts of this book before publication to ascertain whether the brand wished to discuss any issues with the editor. This was done to minimise any possible errors or misunderstandings in the manuscript. The brand declined to comment. The Fashion and Design Club is a Community Interest Company registered with Companies House in the UK. Iayn G Clark has been the Secretary of The Fashion and Design Club since its creation.