I always admired Frank Sinatra. He had ups and downs, but he didn't give up his style. He had what might have been a tough life or character.
— Ralph Lauren
I was never money conscious. I would never have succeeded if I thought I was going to be a millionaire.
I try to make things that are fresh and different, even if they are inspired by classic things.
I want my clothes, my stores, everything I design to have that feeling of being natural and easy. And that takes effort, but you try not to have it show.
I had a very nice life. I was a very good kid. I had nice friends. I played in the school yard. I was nice to my parents; they were nice to me. They were loving parents - they were always there.
I'm a fan of people that have quality, that do what they do, and that are not into the showbiz.
You don't have to wear a label to be important.
I never said to myself, 'I'm going to be the greatest.' I just wanted to do my own thing.
I know it's not enjoying my success to do this, but when I see too many Polo shirts, I say to myself, 'That's the end of that.'
I don't like it when a woman looks like a fashion victim.
I never went to fashion school. I didn't know what a designer was. I knew I had something, but I didn't know what it was. And it could just have easily been nothing.
My father was an artist. When life was harder and he couldn't get jobs, he painted houses, but he was artistic. When I went to see his work, it was special. Somewhere along the line, I felt I was special. I didn't know why.
I think the accessories look very modern and very exciting. These big earrings, these big hoops. I think the girls are sort of falling in love with... collars, neck collars.
I don't think women should look like costumes. I don't think they should look like fashion victims. I think these (clothes) are for women that want to look sexy. They want to look smart.
When I was growing up, officers in uniform were very impressive to me. They were doing a job. They were protecting our country; they were heroes. When you wear an old military jacket, there's some sort of connection to those qualities - to being strong, to being tough, to being a warrior.
I love the challenge of new ideas.
A lot of hard work is hidden behind nice things.
I believe in God. I believe in doing the right thing. I believe in helping people if I can.
My thing was always about individuality and about creating a world - because you don't just wear clothes, you live a life. You have style. You project who you are.
My philosophy was that I never had focus groups.
When you put on something that you really like, you feel like you are that person or the person you want to be.
My symbol was always a polo player because I liked sports, and polo has a stylishness to it.
I was very influenced by movies; I was very influenced by a world that had a sense of dream.
I have had a lot of good things happen, but I've also had a lot of terrible things happen.
My life has been a dream. If someone had to write a story about it, it would seem a little unreal. It's the kind of story I would read and say, 'Nah, that's not possible.'
I went to my boss, and I said, 'Look, I'd like to design these ties because I think they could be new.' He said, 'The world isn't ready for Ralph Lauren.' I never forgot that because... I thought that was a compliment.
People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams.
I don't design clothes, I design dreams.
I always feel like I have to keep going. You can sit back and say, 'Maybe I can stop.' But then you're yesterday, and I love tomorrow.
I loved Cary Grant. I got to know him and Audrey Hepburn. Here were these people I always liked and admired, and they were coming to my house.
My philosophy has always been that I can sell chinos and T-shirts and $5,000 gowns - they just have to be the best of what they are.
I think I've been happy because I've been able to do what I believe in, and on my own terms.
When you don't do something anymore, all of a sudden everyone treasures it.
I'm a big fan of Woody Allen. I used to love the fact that he wrote his own screenplay and acted in the movie.
As a kid, I wore a lot of my older brothers' hand-me-downs.
On one level, there's an aspirational quality to having a Polo player. On another level, it's just a great shirt with lots of colors.
Some women think that if the look this season is minis, they have to wear minis. If you don't have great legs, there are plenty of alternatives.
I went through the extremes of amazing notoriety and also the dreaded things that you never thought you'd have to live through. Not everything works the way you want it to, but if I sit back and think, 'Am I happy about this?' Yeah. I wouldn't have done anything any better.
You have to create something from nothing.
They know they're going to look beautiful, and I don't think women should look like costumes. They shouldn't look like fashion victims.
It's the kind of clothes that mothers and daughters can wear, in terms of concept... It's not about age. It's about taste, and it's about lifestyle. I believe women of all ages can wear anything.
The clothes that I design and everything I've done is about life and how people live and how they want to live and how they dream they'll live. That's what I do.
