Questions about the designer who built an American lifestyle empire from a line of ties, answered from Ayerhs’s Ralph Lauren reviews, guide and A–Z.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 31 October 2026
On this page: The designer · The collections · Codes and business · The Ayerhs view
The designer
Who is Ralph Lauren?
An American designer, born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, New York, in 1939. With no formal fashion training, he started in 1967 by designing wide neckties under the name Polo, then expanded into menswear, womenswear and eventually home goods, fragrance and restaurants. He still leads design as the company’s executive chairman and chief creative officer.
Read on Ayerhs: Ralph Lauren – The complete guide · A–Z of Ralph Lauren
What is the Ralph Lauren style?
An idealised American life: Ivy League prep, English country houses, Western ranches, sailing and old Hollywood. Lauren sells a world as much as clothes, through tweed, cable knits, cowboy denim and evening glamour. It is the template for what is now called the “old money” aesthetic.
Read on Ayerhs: The Old Money Aesthetic
Why is the Polo shirt so associated with Ralph Lauren?
Lauren launched his cotton mesh polo shirt in 1972 in a range of colours, with a small embroidered polo player on the chest. The shirt and its logo became the brand’s best-known product and a symbol of preppy American style worldwide.
Read on Ayerhs: The Polo Shirt: Tennis, prep culture and everyday fashion
The collections
Which Ralph Lauren collections stand out?
Ayerhs has reviewed Ralph Lauren from 2005 onwards. Highlights include the huntress of Fall 2006, the Latin Lauren of Spring 2013, the jungle and jewels of Spring 2015, the maritime Spring 2016, the classic Americana fantasy of Spring 2026 and the moody, texture-rich country estate that followed.
Read on Ayerhs: Fall 2005 · Fall 2006 · Fall 2008 · Spring 2013 · Spring 2015 · Spring 2016 · Spring 2019 · Spring 2026 · The moody country estate era
Codes and business
What is the difference between Ralph Lauren Collection and Polo Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren Collection (and Purple Label for men) is the top-tier designer line shown on the runway. Polo Ralph Lauren is the larger, more accessible line built around the polo shirt, chinos and Oxford shirts. Double RL is the line of vintage-inspired Western and workwear.
Who owns Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren Corporation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1997. Ralph Lauren and his family keep voting control of the company.
Read on Ayerhs: What It Means to Build a Legacy Brand in a Short-Term World
The Ayerhs view
Why does Ralph Lauren endure?
Because he understood before anyone that fashion is storytelling. Ralph Lauren does not chase trends; it sells a dream of American life, and refines it every season. His recent shows, from Americana fantasy to a moody country estate, prove the dream still works.