All About Ralph Lauren: And His Iconic American Designs

Ralph Lauren and his wife with their three children, on the beach in the Hamptons.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren at the “7^th on Sale” To Benefit AIDS Research event in 1990.

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Lauren shows off his cowboy boots a the “7^th on Sale” event in New York.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren at the 1993 screening of “The Firm.”

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren stand proudly with their daughter Dylan at the opening of Dylan’s Candy Bar in 2001.

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Lauren with his nephew Greg at his art show opening, along with Greg's wife, Elizabeth Berkley.

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Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgarten both wearing Ralph Lauren at the 2003 “Open Range” premiere.

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Emmy Rossum wears Ralph Lauren to the premiere of “Phantom of the Opera.”

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Camilla Belle at the Met in 2012, wearing a silver deep-v Lauren gown.

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Taylor Swift was stunning on the red carpet for the People’s Choice Awards in this white Ralph Lauren gown.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren at the
Lauren shows off his cowboy boots a the
Ralph Lauren attends the CFDA Awards Dinner in 1992.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren at the 1993 screening of
Ralph Lauren walks with the always lovely Princess Diana, pictured here in 1996.

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Lauren is applauded at the show for his Fall 1997 collection.

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Ralph Lauren stands with the President of the United States Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, after the designer donated $13 million to the preservation and restoration of the American flag hanging behind them.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren stand proudly with their daughter Dylan at the opening of Dylan
Lauren with his nephew Greg at his art show opening, along with Greg
The designer with Penelope Cruz, who has worn countless Ralph Lauren gowns through the years.

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Lauren chats with Billy Joel at the Shoah Foundation Benefit in 2002.

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Lauren looking dapper at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards.

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Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang at a Cocktail Party hosted by GQ Magazine in 2005.

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Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez are big fans of the designer, pictured here with Lauren in 2006.

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Lauren pictured with Diane von Furstenberg, Steven Kolb and Michael Kors, 2007.

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Ralph Lauren with Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Bruce Weber.

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The Lauren family celebrates the opening of a flagship store opening in Paris, France.

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Ralph Lauren is congratulated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, after being awarded Knight in order of honor during a ceremony in Paris, 2010.

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Ralph and Ricky Lauren, 2011.

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Ralph Lauren comes out at the end of his Fall 2012 Runway show to an adoring crowd.

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Lauren at the Spring 2013 Mercedes-Benz fashion week.

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Gwenyth Paltrow dressed in Ralph Lauren at the 1999 Academy Awards.

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Penelope Cruz wears one of many Ralph Lauren gowns at the 2001 Academy Awards.

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Jennifer Garner pictured here at the 2002 Primetime Emmy Awards, in a beautiful strapless Ralph Lauren gown.

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Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgarten both wearing Ralph Lauren at the 2003
Kristin Davis wears Ralph Lauren in 2003.

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Emmy Rossum wears Ralph Lauren to the premiere of
Diane Keaton rocks this Ralph Lauren suit at the 76^th Annual Academy Awards.

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Karolina Kurkova wearing Ralph Lauren to the 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

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Jake Gyllenhaal looks dashing in a Ralph Lauren suit at the 2006 SAG Awards.

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Tina Fey attends the 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards in a Lauren dress.

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Megan Fox wears Ralph Lauren to the 2009 Golden Globes.

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Ali Larter at the Art of Elysium 2^nd Annual Heaven Gala in 2009, wearing a sleek black Ralph Lauren gown.

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Valentina Zelyaeva wears a black Ralph Lauren dress in Novemer 2010.

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Kate Middleton is seen in a Ralph Lauren dress as she visits a homeless charity in the UK.

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Jennifer Lawrence is seen in Ralph Lauren at the London premiere of The Hunger Games in March 2012.

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Michelle Dockery sparkles in this black and gold Ralph Lauren gown at Costume Institute Gala at the Met in 2012.

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Allison Williams attends the Costume Institute Gala at the Met in 2012 wearing a hot pink Ralph Lauren gown.

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Camilla Belle at the Met in 2012, wearing a silver deep-v Lauren gown.

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Taylor Swift was stunning on the red carpet for the People

It is the epitome of style in the "classic" sense – that all-American look. We're talking, of course, about Ralph Lauren. You know the logo: a Polo player on horseback, and you've probably owned a piece of his clothing at one time or another.

Ralph Lauren was born and raised in the Bronx, New York to Jewish immigrant parents. He idolized John F. Kennedy and James Stewart, confident that he too could one day be a well-known member of society. In high school, he was know for selling neckties that he'd made.

He attended college to study business, but only stayed for two years. He served in the army, and then worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman for a time. Shortly after, he opened a necktie shop of his own with the "Polo" label, backed by a prominent clothing manufacturer.

It took but a few years to expand from Manhattan to Beverly Hills, and from neckties to men's and women's fashion.

He married his lovely wife in 1964, Ricky Lauren. They have three children together: two sons, Andrew and David, and a daughter Dylan. Did you know? Dylan is the owner of Dylan's Candy Bar in New York – the largest candy store in the world!

Lauren's company is focused on "high-end clothes for men and women," but we've found over the years that this high-end brand is really quite affordable. There are outlets everywhere, and while you'll still be spending a decent amount on a Polo item, they're accessible for everyday style, and pieces you'll have forever.

That's the beauty of classic style, isn't it? It never goes out of style.

Click through the gallery above to see some photos of Ralph Lauren, and the stars who can't get enough of his designs!

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