The fashion icon born in 1939 as Ralph Lifshitz is better known as what?

The fashion icon born in 1939 as Ralph Lifshitz is better known as Ralph Lauren.

Lauren was born on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx, New York City, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrant parents. As a teenager, he and his brother changed their surname from Lifshitz to Lauren. He later studied business at Baruch College but left before graduating.

Lauren began his fashion career designing wide, distinctive men’s ties, launching his own neckwear line in 1967. In 1968, he introduced Polo Ralph Lauren, a menswear label built around an idealized image of classic American style. The polo player logo became one of the most recognizable symbols in fashion.

A common mix-up is treating “Polo” as the designer’s full name. Polo is one of Ralph Lauren’s best-known brands, while Ralph Lauren is the designer and the broader company name. His business eventually expanded beyond clothing into fragrances, home furnishings, restaurants, and other lifestyle products.