Ralph Lauren: "It's Simple: I Am American Culture"

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT when you hear the word "polo"? We bet that not only sports for the rich and successful comes to mind, but also a brand founded half a century ago by a simple kid from the Bronx. The coincidence is no coincidence: over the past fifty years, with their endless crises, disasters and disappointments, Ralph Lauren with enviable persistence has created the perfect wardrobe for a different, more carefree and easy life, making us dream of something bigger. Ralph Lauren clothes are worn by tycoons and prime ministers, aristocrats and Olympic champions, famous actors and heroes played by them. Yes, Fitzgerald invented Gatsby, but it was Lauren who donned a white linen suit on him in the classic 1974 film. Hollywood glamor, military discipline, and cowboy-Indian freelance - the designer began with these archetypes,and they remain key to his aesthetics half a century later. “I wasn't interested in the Americans themselves, but in who we could become,” says Lauren. Who did Ralph himself become during the reporting period? The creator of the multi-billion dollar company and the legend of the fashion industry is first of all a happy family man. For 53 years he has been married to the stunning beauty Ricky. Together with their children and grandchildren, they are the perfect embodiment of the very American elegance that the collections, advertising campaigns and designer shows are told about. His lifestyle is generally inseparable from his business: it doesn't matter if Ralph Lauren creates clothes, furniture or home accessories - he wants to give his clients what he has. “I've always taken my own dreams as a basis. Black and white cinema, Frank Sinatra, landscapes of Santa Fe - I borrow from the world what I love, I supplement and give back ",- this is how he describes his creative method.

How did a designer, albeit such a successful one, manage to become a stronghold of national self-identification? “It's simple: I am American culture,” Lauren says without false modesty. His words are reminiscent of the beginning of Saul Bellow's classic novel, The Adventures of Ogie March: “I am American, born in Chicago. I hold on independently - I taught myself that way - and I have my own opinion. " Making the most of what nature has given you, and showing yourself at your best in any situation is the most American of all qualities. And Ralph Lauren is the most American of all designers.

Being true to his vision brought him fame and helped build an empire from scratch. In the modern world of postmodernism and deconstruction, he works without the slightest irony with fashionable absolutes: a nautical strip, as in Jean Seberg in Godar's "In the Last Breath"; tight-fitting silk dresses a la Marlene Dietrich; wide trousers, like Annie Hall performed by Diane Keaton; a white blouse with a high collar and a wide leather belt - similar worn by Meryl Streep in the movie "Out of Africa". Ralph deeply believes in classical codes - and knows how to convince other people of their relevance, sometimes the most unexpected ones. In the 80s, the street gang Lo Lifes (Lo - short for Polo) appeared in Brooklyn. To become a part of it, only one thing was required - an unbridled desire from head to toe to dress in Polo Ralph Lauren, which was reinforced by theft from boutiques."I don't know how, but they really understood me one hundred percent!" Ralph laughs. Surely. He, in fact, has a lot in common with these guys: they just wanted a different life - just like Lauren himself did in his time. And today, thanks to this story, my 17-year-old skater son is on the hunt for vintage Polo items. And this is the best answer to critics who accuse the designer of being retrograde.

Oprah Winfrey:

“Ralph Lauren defined American style for decades to come - and now I'm talking not only about fashion, but about culture in general. You can't count the number of times I drove past his ranch in the Rocky Mountains and dreamed of getting over the fence one day. I remember very well the day when Ralph finally invited me to visit. It was absolute happiness!"

Gwyneth Paltrow:

“In 1999, I didn't have a stylist, and I myself chose the dress for the Oscar. I studied the footage from the shows for a long time - and then I saw a fluffy pink skirt with a sleeveless cashmere turtleneck at Ralph Lauren and fell in love. Lauren's team created a ball gown based on this image, in which I appeared on the red carpet. Then Crystal Lourdes was responsible for working with celebrities. She still jokes that the night between the last fitting and the ceremony, I lost a few pounds. Still: I was so nervous! To be honest, I don’t really remember the evening itself. But the dress made a splash, that's for sure. Minimalism of the 90s on the one hand, and an explosion of color on the other: then this combination looked revolutionary."

Diane Keaton:

“Ralph and I have very similar views on fashion. He always liked the way women look in men's clothes, and I understand him perfectly. Annie Hall (the heroine of the film of the same name by Woody Allen, played by the actress in 1977 - approx. HB) had all the costumes very much in the spirit of Lauren - and, of course, mine too. And thank God, after 50 years it is still the same. I still love his clothes incredibly - a tuxedo for going out, a baggy tweed jacket for every day … Ralph is cool! I love it!"

Alexander Wang:

“Ralph is an example for any designer. For me, so sure. It doesn't matter what he sells, a suit or a hamburger, he always creates a dream. Every time I go to his store, eat in his restaurant, or see something related in one way or another to his brand, I learn a valuable lesson. His endless dedication to his work inspires me not only in work, but also in life."

HAIRCUTS: SERGE NORMANT FOR SERGE NORMANT HAIRCARE; MAKEUP: GUCCI WESTMAN FOR WESTMAN ATELIER; MANICURE: GINA EDWARDS FOR CHANEL LE VERNIS; MODEL BLANCA PADILLA; PRODUCER: NATHALIE AT KRANKY PRODUKTIONS.