Ralph Lauren Corporation
Belarus → USA
Agriculture, Food & Consumer Goods
Summary
Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in 1939 in the Bronx to Frieda Cutler and Frank Lifshitz, Belarusian-Jewish immigrants from Pinsk who had arrived in the United States around 1920. The family lived modestly; Ralph and his brother Jerry changed their surname to Lauren as teenagers. After working at Brooks Brothers and selling neckties for Beau Brummell, Lauren launched his own tie line in 1967 under the brand Polo, with wider, hand-stitched ties that became a phenomenon. He expanded into menswear in 1968 and womenswear in 1971. The company is one of the foundational American luxury apparel houses.
European Contribution
Eastern European Jewish tailoring traditions and the visual imagination of an immigrant son re-inventing American style.
American Impact
Built one of the foundational American luxury fashion houses and a globally recognised visual brand of American style.
Timeline Highlights
- c.1920 Lifshitz parents emigrate from Pinsk
- 1939 Ralph Lauren born in the Bronx
- 1967 Launches Polo neckwear line
- 1971 First Polo Ralph Lauren womenswear collection
- 1997 IPO on NYSE