Polo Ralph Lauren

'''Ralph Lauren Corporation''' ({{NYSE|RL}}) is a luxury clothing and goods company of the [[United States|American]] [[fashion designer]] [[Ralph Lauren]]. Ralph Lauren specializes in [[high-end]] casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as [[Fashion accessory|accessories]], [[fragrances]], home (bedding, towels) and [[housewares]]. It has its headquarters in [[Midtown Manhattan]], [[New York City]]. ==History== [[File:Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo Mansion 002.JPG||left|thumb|The Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store occupying the [[Rhinelander Mansion]] on [[Madison Avenue]] in [[New York City]]]] The brand was launched in 1967 when [[Ralph Lauren]], born Ralph Lifshitz, received a $50,000 loan and started a line of men's ties. Prior to starting Ralph Lauren, he worked for Datrian Riser. By 1969 he had a boutique store within the [[Manhattan]] department store [[Bloomingdale's]]. Around that same time he released a line of women's suits that were tailored in a classic men's style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women's suit. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection and his first stand-alone store in [[Beverly Hills, California]]. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on [[London, England|London's]] New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. The company went public in 1997. By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in the United States. The brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, and operates the restaurant RL in Chicago. As of 2009, Ralph Lauren or their licensing partners operated 163 full-price and 163 outlet/factory stores around the world, including [[Club Monaco]] and [[Rugby Ralph Lauren|Rugby]] stores. The company's flagship store is located in the former [[Rhinelander Mansion]] on [[Madison Avenue]] in [[New York City]]. Other major Polo Ralph Lauren stores are located in [[Chicago]], [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]], [[London]], [[Miami]], [[Milan]], [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], and [[Tokyo]]. The company's official [[web site]] and [[online shop]] were launched in 2000 as ''polo.com'' by RL Media, a cooperation between Ralph Lauren and [[NBC]]. In 2007, Ralph Lauren acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ''ralphlauren.com''. Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching $4.2 billion in 2007. ==Brands== Since Ralph Lauren's first brand, ''Polo'', was launched in 1967, the company has expanded to include a variety of brands. They include the men's lines Purple Label (Launched in 1994), Black Label, Blue Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Polo Denim, Polo Golf, Ralph by Ralph Lauren, Rugby Ralph Lauren (launched 2004), and the women's lines Collection, Black Label, Blue Label (launched 2002), Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Golf (Launched in 1998), and Lauren Jeans Co. ==Fragrances== Polo Ralph Lauren corporation has launched various fragrances and related body care products for men and women since 1978. The products are manufactured under license by [[L'Oreal]]. ==Sports sponsorships== In 2006, Polo Ralph Lauren became the first Official Outfitter of [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], redesigning the outfits for [[ball boy|ball boys and girls]], line and court judges. 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 June 26. In 2005, Polo Ralph Lauren and the [[USTA]] signed a four year partnership making Polo the official apparel sponsor of the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] throughout 2008. All ball boys and girls, and on-court officials, were dressed in specially designed Ralph Lauren apparel. The company also sponsors US professional golfers [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]], [[Jonathan Byrd (golfer)|Jonathan Byrd]], [[Davis Love III]], and [[Luke Donald]]; as well as [[LPGA]] golfer [[Morgan Pressel]]. In April 2008, Polo Ralph Lauren won the U.S. Olympic contract to outfit the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. [[Roots Canada Ltd.]] had announced its ending as the official clothing supplier to the US Olympic team on April 7, 2008. In July 2009, it was announced Polo Ralph Lauren will continue its partnership with the U.S. Olympic team for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. ==Licenses== To gain better control of the various brands Ralph Lauren has bought back in recent years many licenses granted in previous years. The company claims that all Ralph Lauren products, whether in-house produced or licensed, have been designed by Mr. Lauren and/or his design staff. As of 2009 product licensing partners for the U.S. market include [[L'Oreal]] (perfume and cosmetics), Peerless, Inc. (Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Ralph, Chaps and American Living tailored menswear), [[Warnaco Group]] (Chaps sportswear), [[HanesBrands]] (mens Polo underwear) and [[Luxottica]] Group (eyewear). All of the 'home' products in the various Ralph Lauren lines are produced by licensing partners. Internationally, entire regions have been provided with the right to sell Ralph Lauren merchandise and operate branded stores: Australia/New Zealand (Oroton Group), Central America (PRL Enterprises), Korea (Doosan Corporation) and Hong Kong / Southeast Asia (Dickson Concepts). All domestic Ralph Lauren stores are operated by Ralph Lauren. Internationally some RL stores are operated by Ralph Lauren, about 90 are operated by licensing partners. ==South African Polo trademark issues== The Polo brand sold in South Africa is not affiliated with the Polo Ralph Lauren brand. An independent South African company trademarked the Polo name and logo in South Africa. It is now illegal to sell Polo Ralph Lauren clothing in South Africa because it would infringe on the trademark rights of the South African trademark holder. [http://www.polosa.com Polo South Africa] ==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Portal box|New York City|Companies}} *[http://www.ralphlauren.com/frontdoor/index.jsp Ralph Lauren Official Site] [http://www.polosport.org Polo Sport History] {{L'Oreal Brands}} {{coord missing|New York}}