Ralph Lauren has been on quite a roll these past few months as he’s been celebrating 50 years in the fashion industry. During New York Fashion Week the designer threw a massive show in Central Park that featured a stunning array of celebrity guests. Now, only a month later, the anniversary festivities continue in the pages of not one, but two magazines: the November issues of Town & Country and Elle Decor.
For T&C Lauren gave an expansive interview about his career, attributing his success to not wanting to please anyone but himself. “When I started out, my goal was to express myself,” he said. “It wasn’t about fashion, it was about what I wanted. And then, all of a sudden, I realized I was building a world, telling a story about the things that I loved.”
“Good taste alone is not going to build a company that lasts for 50 years,” he also advised. “Good taste can be boring taste, and classics can be uninteresting. If all I had was good taste, people would say this is just an old man designing clothes. I try to make things that are fresh and different, even if they are inspired by classic things. I want the audience to be the chairman of the board, but also the boys in Harlem, the kids who want sexier clothing. Why does Cary Grant always seem fresh, or Frank Sinatra, while someone else seems tired? There is always a spin, something new.”
Additionally, Lauren and his entire family sat down for exclusive portraits with the magazine at his Bedford home, while Elle Decor was given access to his Telluride, Colorado ranch. The November issues of Elle Decor and Town & Country will be on newsstands today and October 16, respectively.
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