Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style [Hardcover]

Colin McDowell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 8, 2003

A comprehensive look at one of the most influential fashion designers today, Ralph Lauren tells the story of the man behind the fashion empire, from Ralph Lauren's beginnings as a tie salesman to the opening of his first store to his current status as America's premier fashion and lifestyle designer. Unique in scope, this book takes a comprehensive and fresh approach to examining one of the world's greatest style-makers. Colin McDowell has been given unprecedented access to the behind-the-scenes world of Ralph Lauren-his creative inspirations, his personal style, his tireless effort to putting together a fashion line-all with the full cooperation of the designer, his family, friends, and colleagues. Ralph Lauren is a must-have for fashion historians, fans of Ralph Lauren style, and fashionistas everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The name "Ralph Lauren" instantly conjures dashing men and refined women dressed in preppy clothing, riding horses or playing croquet. McDowell, a fashion writer for London's Sunday Times, tells the fashion giant's life story with dozens of photographs, many from the Laurens and others from Lauren's company's archive. The book covers Lauren's Bronx childhood (he was born Ralph Lifshitz and changed his name in his teens) and the path to his fashion empire, which now brings in $2 billion a year. Throughout, McDowell emphasizes the spirit of Lauren's clothing, which, he says, stands for "much of what Americans and the rest of the world consider important aspects of his country's culture and life." The text is fawning (McDowell regards Lauren as possessing a "protean genius") and comprehensive (e.g., he explains the logistics of one of Lauren's fashion shoots, on a private ranch in Hawaii, which used lion cubs and a zebra as props). The photographs of Lauren all fit the mold of the all-American hero: in one shot he's wearing a cowboy hat, riding in a jeep with his family; in another, he and his wife, Ricky, wade in the ocean, arms around each other; in yet another, the khaki-clad designer thoughtfully examines a piece of clothing alongside his colleagues. . They're all oozing with preppiness and Americana, making this a fine tribute to the man who made it cool for guys to wear pink. (Feb.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Colin McDowell is the fashion writer for London's Sunday Times style section. His books include Jean-Paul Gaultier, Manolo Blahnik, Galliano, and McDowell's Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Fashion.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications (February 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825248
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825240
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #889,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough on "the Style", November 11, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style (Hardcover)

I am a Ralph Lauren fan, but like others who've reviewed this title, I was disappointed that there weren't more photos of the beautiful clothes -- the style -- from the archives. I had hoped to see more fashion than what was included. In a recent fashion magazine tribute, for example, there were several pieces of wonderful fashion from the archives -- a military jacket, tuxedo jacket, etc -- that epitomized the Lauren style. This sort of thing was sorely lacking in this book. Just not enough of a good thing, and not as lush as you'd expect.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars an airbrushed rehash, August 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style (Hardcover)

I was thoroughly disappointed in this book that purports to be an inside look of Ralph Lauren.It is hardly that. The pictures are old and there aren't many outside observers, including folks who wear the clothes, who comment on one of America's leading designer businesses. I also read the Michael Gross book which is far more titillating and detailed...at least you get a fuller portrait of the designer.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but could have been better..., February 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style (Hardcover)

I've been anxiously awaiting this book's release for the past couple of years. It was originally going to be titled Ralph Lauren and the Spirit of America. Rumor had it last year that Ralph previewed the book and demanded a re-write because he didn't like the copy.

It's a nice book, and if you are into Ralph Lauren, you should check it out. However, be aware that it's not up to the standard Ralph himself would have produced. It covers all aspects of Ralph Lauren, from his childhood and personal life to the history of Polo. It is fawning as the reviews say, and the writing is just plain boring at times. Still, it is a good overview of Ralph.

The photographs are where it really disappointed me. There are relatively few, and many of them have been seen before. The pictures are not comprehensive in any sense. It offers reprints of ads (mostly recent, although a few from over the years), a few personal photographs of Ralph and his family, and pictures of the stores (for some reason heavily focused on the Chicago location - almost no photos of the mansion). I would have appreciated a bigger selection from the archives or older ads and a few more "behind the scenes" shots. The shots of Ralph's office and of him in a fitting session are so small you can hardly make anything out of them.

I read the Michael Gross biography first, definitely more readable, but it's mostly second hand gossip. Here you get the sanitized version, in a prettier package. Don't expect any surprises though.