Explore another influential fashion designer, Ralph Lauren – the casual coy culture shaper.
We’ve been working our way through a list of 50 famous fashion designers that influenced the way fashion is done today. We’ve been doing it through a lens of crochet and finding in what ways artists still incorporate the craft in today’s trends.
Today, let’s take a look at Ralph Lauren – his career, style, and continued influence on today’s fashion.
Ralph Lauren is known for making “fashion for people who actually don’t want to be fashionable,” as quoted from 50 Fashion Designers You Should Know by Simone Werle. This matches with the casually classic style we see reflected in his brand still today.
- Werle, Simone (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 160 Pages - 04/24/2010 (Publication Date) - Prestel (Publisher)
Werle goes on to say that Lauren offered a new style that is considered the American Style of fashion and what we now call sportswear. It gives comfort and ease and luxury in a non-glamorous yet revered way.
The Start of Ralph Lauren
Born in the Bronx, New York, Ralph started his fashion foray as a teenager by working in menswear shops. In 1967 he launched his first line – uniquely, a line of neckties. The neckties were quite successful so he was able to follow them the next year with his first men’s collection.
He quickly won the Coty Award for his menswear line. Just three years after his menswear launch, he released his first women’s collection. In 1981, Ralph Lauren became the first American fashion designer to open a flagship store in Europe.
Today, Ralph Lauren has a net worth of over seven billion dollars and ranks in the top 100 wealthiest billionaires on the Forbes list as of 2019.
The Influence of Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren’s most notable design is his Polo Ralph Lauren where he made the Polo style a staple in American everyday wear, even still today. These polos were the crossover between casual wear and sportswear, letting the style edges blur to usher in a whole new wave of athletic wear.
However, Ralph Lauren also has quite an interest in filmmaking fashion and is seen designing for many major motion pictures, such as the 1970’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby, Annie Hall, and even more recently, the BBC TV series Downton Abbey.
Fun fact: Ralph Lauren’s fashion house is headquartered in the same building as Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta.
Ralph Lauren and Crochet
Throughout his decades of designing and creating, Ralph Lauren has always included crochet in the subtle details and designs. Crochet gives an air of flowy ease and Lauren capitalizes on this with simple yet pleasing designs that make up the basics of ones wardrobe.
These are some of our favorite current collection pieces you can find from different relators that are in stock now.
We love the mid calf length of this beautifully crochet lace pencil skirt. It's casual yet so elegant and comfortable.
With bright colors and irregular striping pattern, this hat is a cute accent to any summer outfit!
With simple stitches that create a beautiful lined pattern, this dress is a great display of how perfectly simple crochet can be.
The bold red of this elegant dress is stunning. With a silk slip lining the intricate crochet lace, this piece truly is a masterpiece.
The four bead bunches add a fun festive pop to this crochet bucket hat that we just adore!
Giving casual elegance once again, this silk sweatercoat is perfect for chilly spring mornings or over a summer dress in the evenings. We love the different stitches and patterns incorporated in this lacy design.
Not only does Ralph Lauren use crochet for this bag, but the bold stitchwork across the leather edging makes it quite a statement accessory, despite the neutral tones. If you're not as into being angular, you can get a similar look but with a saddle bag style for soft curves.
Although only used in the detailing on this piece, we love how crochet adds an elegance to this classic cut shirt.
Ralph Lauren doesn't just do clothes and accessories, but also does things for around the home, like this simple crochet pillow that would brighten up any room.
This bellport tote is perfect for a longer trip or a stop at the yarnstore to get new yarn. It's spacious while being oh so stylish!