“Ralph never wanted to be in fashion, he wanted to be his own fashion — there’s a gigantic difference,” says American author and designer Alan Flusser. From the very beginning Ralph Lauren has set and stuck to his own rhythm, and is universally celebrated for his prioritisation, not of flash, but of enduring style.
Even when he established Purple Label, his signature, and most expensive menswear line, it maintained his understated outlook with minimal or no branding. Founder of The Rake, Wei Koh describes his approach perfectly by saying: “While many look to Lauren as a pioneer, the first truly American designer to export American luxury to the world, they sometimes don't grasp that he has also revolutionised luxury in being a designer that militates against ephemera and trend."
