Which American luxury brand was founded by Ralph Lauren?

Which American luxury brand was founded by Ralph Lauren? The answer is Ralph Lauren.

Ralph Lauren founded his company in New York City in 1967, beginning with men’s neckties. At the time, he was working for the tie manufacturer Beau Brummell and persuaded its president to let him create his own line. His first major expansion came in 1968, when he introduced a complete menswear collection named Polo.

The brand’s identity drew on an idealized vision of American life: equestrian sport, country estates, Ivy League style, and classic tailoring. In 1969, Bloomingdale’s gave the label its own shop-in-shop, an unusual distinction for a designer at the time. Lauren introduced women’s tailored clothing in 1971 and opened his first freestanding store in Beverly Hills in 1972.

“Polo” and “Ralph Lauren” are often treated as separate companies, but Polo Ralph Lauren is one of the corporation’s best-known labels. The business later expanded into children’s clothing, fragrances, accessories, home furnishings, hospitality, and luxury lines such as Purple Label. The company became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1997.