He is nearing his 73rd birthday. But there is no slowing down fashion icon Ralph Lauren, who has just signed on to remain as chief of his eponymous label for another five years. Ralph founded the all-American fashion house, known for its simple, clean look favoured by the more athletic, preppy types, in 1967 and has been at the helm ever since.
He is known for his hands-on approach. From managing the brand to marketing the product, he is involved in every step of the way. This strong work ethic is something Ralph — who has three children Dylan, David and Andrew (pictured below) — was instilled with at a young age after watching his father do long hours as a house painter to be able to pay the bills. At high school, when other boys were concerned with homework and girls, he began his first business venture – selling ties to his fellow students. After graduating and finding a job, Ralph was still not content with the 9-5 lifestyle, feeling that it didn’t push him enough. So he enrolled in a college and began taking night classes in business.
His consistently hard work paid off and he is now the proud owner of one of the biggest fashion houses in the world.
His company was also recently bestowed the honour of designing the Olympic team outfits for America’s top athletes heading to London this summer for the Games. The clothes will feature the designer’s famous pony emblem along with the number 12 and a retro logo that harks back to the last London Games in 1948.Ralph will receive a 40 per cent salary increase with his new contract, taking his income from $1.25 million to $1.75 million a year.