Ralph Lauren...the big name...a big game! Ralph Lauren is Ralph Lauren and I guess I am running out of words to describe or rather start on this. Be it an American cultural party, any red carpet event, today’s youth in rugged denims or the neo England style; it is all associated with Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren is the name of the revolution that changed the styling sense especially of Americans and made them glamorous. Now, the revolution, the enigma, the magic has been scripted into a single creation. Wonder what it could be, that can contain such a far-reaching era; it’s a book. 2007 marks the fortieth year of the enigmatic Ralph Lauren designs. That certainly calls for celebration and to do that he has assembled his designs, evolution; professional and personnel, passions, his inspiration and design philosophy in a single book that has over five hundred pages. I think it is hard to cover such a massive entity in around 500 pages, I am happy that we might get a few glimpses of it.
A line from the book says,
‘Fashion is a function of lifestyle, and style a function of quality, integrity and timelessness.’
Ralph started with a neckwear line in 1967 that also helped the launch of well known label Polo later on. In 1972, he launched womenswear and there was no looking back. Now, the line includes everything, from clothes to furnishings to fragrances. The book contains around 750 photographs and illustrations. The book also stands divided into four sections:
• LIVING: This section describes his personnel life, work, difficulties and marriage as well.
• MOVIES: This section basically deals with his marketing strategies and various other campaigns. A line quotes, ‘When I work on a collection I feel like I’m making a movie. I want to tell a story, so I guess you could say I write through my clothes.’
• HEROINES: This section basically deals with women or rather the heroines of the label. It also gives you a glimpse of his design philosophy. Explaining the imagination that forms the background for his dazzling styles and dramatic clothes, he says, ‘When I design a collection I have a character in mind. I’ll say, ‘Who is she? Where does she live? What is her taste?’ I study her character and I create for her and through her.’
• HISTORY: The book closes, well sad that is, but the end comprises of flaunt of personal mementos, news clippings and photos, of course dealing with Ralph. A line from this section says, ‘My vision continues to be as it was in the beginning. It hasn’t changed. I don’t want what I created in 1967 to be old, and what I created in 2007 to be new.’ Well, this section can make any other designer jealous and also inspire many others.
Pheww...that is the ‘Ralph Lauren.’ As far as I am concerned, I recommend it as a must read. It will be out in October, till then aspire.
Source: Fashiontribes
