Is Ralph Lauren a designer? Why or why not?
No, I do not think that Ralph is necessarily a fashion designer; I think it would be more accurate to say that he is a purveyor of fashion. While most designers do not oversee the creation of each individual item that they show Ralph has openly said that he has assistant designers and creators who create the actual clothing that is being shown, and while he most likely approves the final looks, he is not engrained wholly in their creation.
Where did Ralph Lauren work prior to working for himself? Why do you think this experience was beneficial to his career?
His first retail job at Brooks Brothers I think is an important stepping-stone in Ralph’s career. It was here that he would have gotten a first hand look into the world of fashion and retail and no doubt gave him some vision of how a successful store/brand would be run for when he later opened his shop. The luxury status of the brand Brooks Brothers itself was also somewhat helpful for Ralph because he was previewed to the lifestyle that the people who wore the suiting had and that gave him somewhat of an idea of what to emulate when he created Ralph Lauren.
Currently, how many divisions does Ralph Lauren operate under his name? Can you identify the target market of each division? Are they homogenous or diverse?
The main divisions of Ralph Lauren are men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, footwear, and accessories along with a home line. Each of these divisions are also broken down into more categories and styles. On the women’s side of Polo Ralph Lauren there are seven different lines to choose from, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Ralph Lauren Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Pink Pony, Ralph Lauren RLX Woman, and Ralph Lauren Golf Woman. Ralph Lauren Collection is the collection that is shown on the runway twice a year at New York Fashion Week. The Collection line is the highest price point for women’s clothing with accessories ranging in price from $250 (sunglasses) to over $16,000 (alligator handbag). The accessories are available for purchase online however the clothing is only available at select Ralph Lauren stores around the country (not available at the Las Vegas Palazzo store). All of the remaining lines are available for purchase both online and at Ralph Lauren retail stores across the country. The next line, Ralph Lauren Black Label, is the next line down in price point. This line is still for a more discerning customer and is where more formal Resort and Cruise collections as well as a special holiday collection are sold. Clothing in this line ranges from $300 (button up tuxedo shirt) to $3000 (dress). The next line, Ralph Lauren Blue Label, and is about the same price point as Black Label. The only difference between the lines is the formality of the clothing. Black label produces the gown that one would wear to opening night at Lincoln Center in the city. Whereas Blue Label is the line that one would wear while lounging or riding their horse at their country estate. Lauren by Ralph Lauren is the next line down in price point. This line is also available at select department stores as well as online and in select Ralph Lauren stores. Lauren by Ralph Lauren also has a petites and woman’s line. The price point is much lower here, ranging from $500 (wool coat) to $60 (button up shirt) obviously making Lauren the most easily accessible line for most Americans. The remaining three lines are specialty lines. Pink Pony offers all types of apparel from athletic to casual wear and a portion of all the proceeds from the sale of Pink Pony items is donated to the Pink Pony Fund for Cancer Care and Prevention. RLX Woman produces athletic wear for women, including workout attire and sports relating clothing (tennis skirts, etc). Golf Woman focuses on producing athletic wear for the sport of golf where the attire is more like everyday clothing as opposed to athletic wear. Golf Woman produces skirts, polo shirts, sweaters and other miscellaneous items pertaining to the sport.
The men’s lines are broken down in almost the same manner with five lines, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren RLX Man, and Ralph Lauren Golf Man. Purple Label is reminiscent of British haberdashery and therefore cut in a more classic silhouette whereas Black Label is more modern and therefore cut trimmer than Purple Label. Purple Label suiting is custom made to order through exclusive Ralph Lauren Stores (the Palazzo shop does carry Purple Label) making it a sort of couture version of menswear and also features footwear and accessories. The Black Label line is available online and at retail locations across the states. Black Label is priced at the standard $1500-$3000 per suit that seems to be the standard of high quality suiting and also offers accessories and outerwear for men. Polo Ralph Lauren is the line that is often found in department stores nationwide making it the equivalent of the Lauren women’s line. Again, it is the most easily accessible with a price point of $1000 (merino wool peacoat) to $35 (waffle crewneck). RLX man and RL Golf are built upon the same basis as the women’s lines of the same collection as well, offering athletic wear for men at various price points to target the most discerning as well as the common buyer.
Polo Ralph Lauren, Inc also launched the Rugby line in 2004. This is the newest of the clothing labels and it carries casual wear that is still polished and meeting the Ralph Lauren standards. It seems to be targeted more towards college students with it’s array of henleys, knit tops, and sweaters, most of which can be custom designed for the buyer through the website rugby.com and also a new iPhone/iPod touch application. Prices for the collection seem to be about standard for a luxury brand’s casual division, with polos coming in around $65 and the rugby shirts coming in at $150.
Polo Ralph Lauren, Inc also has a home collection. Featuring an array of paints, wallpapers, furniture, bedding, and accessories, it is the perfect way for the Ralph Lauren enthusiast to get the same look of their favorite clothes in their home. Ralph Lauren Home stores are the easiest place to get all of the merchandise but many items like bedding, and accessories can also be purchased online. The price point is that which makes the home collection for the privileged buyer. A standard sofa starts at $6000 and will range up to $15,000. However Ralph Lauren brand paint is available at Home Depots across the country at about $45 per gallon making this small luxury available to middle America.
What is your favorite division of Ralph Lauren? How does that emulate your personal lifestyle?
My favorite division of Ralph Lauren is definitely the menswear division, particularly the Purple Label line. I love all of the luxury accessories that are offered as well as the custom tailoring for the suiting. I prefer the slimmer, more modern silhouette of the Black Label collection but in general I think that Purple Label is my favorite. As a young 23 year-old student the Purple Label collection may not be the way I fashion my lifestyle right now but it is definitely the way I will be living when I am ‘older’.
How has Ralph Lauren built on his original brand to create an empire and an almost unparalleled career in fashion? Can you think of someone else who compares to him?
Ralph successfully built on his original Polo brand simply by being true to the idea behind the brand that he originally had and never fluctuating from that vision. Most fashion brands give in to the hot and trendy and therefore fall prey to becoming irrelevant in a few short seasons. However Ralph saw his brand as a lifestyle and has always offered a variety of clothing that fits that lifestyle and that has helped him build his loyal customer and strong empire. I think that currently Tom Ford is on much the same path as Ralph was at his age with the creation of his über luxury brand Tom Ford. Tom much like Ralph has used himself in advertising campaigns and engrained himself completely as part of the brand image since the very beginning. Tom’s empire may never get quite as large as Ralph’s but I also do not think that that is what Tom would want, he likes the exclusivity of his line the way it is now and has no desire to have a diffusion line at the local Dillards.
