Ralph Lauren

Me and Ralph Lauren

Did you see Ralph Lauren on Oprah, yesterday?

Go to Oprah.com to read the interview.

Maybe the show will be on video there as well soon.

She toured his ranch in Colorado, spent the night and had dinner.

I've long admired this man who started off his life as Ralph Lifshitz.

Born of Russian immigrant parents...he truly has lived the American Dream.

Actually, he has designed what the American Dream looks like for many of us.

A glimpse of one of his new bedding collections.

I had read about him and how he started his business before but never had I seen him interviewed.

He seems to be such a nice level headed guy too and has raised his family to have great values and work ethic.

He began his company by designing and making men's ties that he tried to get Bloomingdale's to carry.

They wanted them but only if he'd remove his brand - Polo from the label and put the Bloomingdale's name on them.

He refused. Six months later Bloomingdale's came to him and they said they wanted them and they would keep the Polo name. 

So he had a display in Bloomingdale's. 

A year later...he goes in the store and sees a display next to his of very similar ties with the Bloomingdale's label on them. 

He felt ripped off as they had blatantly copied him. 

But a manager at the store pulled him aside and said, "Your's are better, they are made with love."

And that has made all the difference.

A bit of his Spring 2011 line

Now the ME part of this story...

Twenty years ago I was on vacation with my Mom and sister in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

My Mom and sister had long tired of walking the Plaza shopping. 

It was getting to be end of the day, they'd gone back to wait in the park in the center of the 

Plaza for me to finish shopping. 

The stores were closing up and I was headed back to them when a group of young men came my way 

and stopped in front of the Ralph Lauren store. In the middle of all these casual yet fashionably dressed 

young men was none other than Ralph himself!

They were checking out the store window displays and were talking about how this and 

that looked while he listened and nodded. 

He looked exactly like this....

I'm not one very impressed by celebrities, they are people just like the rest of us.

But I was very much star struck that day.

I watched them for a bit till they went in the store. 

I remember I even had on my long pink linen Polo skirt that day accessorized with lots of turquoise.

Of course the skirt I'd bought off the sale rack at a discount store. 

It had a flaw in the fabric that you couldn't notice unless it was pointed out.

Anyway, I've seen presidents and movie stars and met a few celebrities

and have never felt the rush I felt that day. I raced to tell my Mom and sister.

My sister could have cared less and my Mom was 

"Ralph who?" 

I explained and pointed at the tag in my skirt. But she was unimpressed. 

I'd just seen a fashion icon and she had no idea who I was talking about.

Anyway...it was great to see that interview of him yesterday on Oprah 

and see what a nice man he seems to be.

Have you ever seen anyone famous that thrilled you?