From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation
Type	Public (NYSE: RL)
Founded	1968
Headquarters	New York, New York, USA
Key people	Ralph Lauren, Chairman & CEO
Industry	Textiles - Apparel Clothing
Products	Apparel, Bedding, Bath products, Furniture, Fabric, Wallpaper, Paints, Broadloom, Tabletop and Giftware, Fragrance and Skin Care products
Revenue	$3.746 billion USD (2006)
Net income	$308.00 million USD (2006)
Employees	12,800 (2006)
Website	www.polo.com

Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) is American fashion designer Ralph Lauren's leading line of clothing. Polo Ralph Lauren specialises in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women.

Contents 1 Brand history 2 Polo classics 3 Brands 4 External links

The brand was launched in 1967 when Ralph Lauren purchased the name from Brooks Brothers, for whom he worked at the time. In 1968 he started a line of men's ties. By 1969 he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection and his first standalone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London's New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line came about in 1993. [1]

The brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, and operates the restaurant RL in Chicago, and sponsors a Harlem cancer center in association with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The flagship store is now located in the Rhinelander Mansion 867 Madison Avenue at 72nd Street, also in New York City.

Ralph Lauren is the largest fashion designer/retailer in the United States, with sales almost reaching four billion dollars per year.

One of the most famous pieces in the Polo line is the classic polo short-sleeved knit shirt featuring the now-iconic Polo player on the left breast of the shirt. This shirt in particular became a fashion must in the 1980s with the preppy set. Other Polo classics include the cashmere cableknit sweater and the oxford cloth button-down shirt.

Since the inception of Polo in 1967, Ralph Lauren has created many other brands. They include:

Clothing for men:

• Purple Label (Launched in 1994)
• Black Label (Available in 11 boutiques throughout the United States)
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• RLX
• RRL (Double RL)
• Polo Denim
• Rugby

Clothing for women:

• Collection
• Black Label
• Blue Label
• Lauren Ralph Lauren
• Lauren Jeans Co.
• RLX
• RRL (Double RL)
• Pink Pony
• Rugby

Clothing for children:

• Boys
• Girls
• Layette

Home (including furniture, fabrics, tabletop, accessories, and paint)

Polo Ralph Lauren also owns the retailer Club Monaco, which operates independently within the RL corporate structure.

In 2006 Ralph Lauren became the first Official Outfitter of Wimbledon, redesigning the outfits for ballboys, line and court judges and the Wimbledon logo was adapted for this purpose. Ralph Lauren's Polo brand and style was used and a range of clothing for men and women was launched on 26th June.

• Polo Ralph Lauren Official Site