- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: Cassell Illustrated; New edition edition (Dec 8 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1844034798
- ISBN-13: 978-1844034796
- Product Dimensions: 28.7 x 24.6 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 1.1 Kg
- Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The name "Ralph Lauren" instantly conjures dashing men and refined women dressed in preppy clothing, riding horses or playing croquet. McDowell, a fashion writer for London's Sunday Times, tells the fashion giant's life story with dozens of photographs, many from the Laurens and others from Lauren's company's archive. The book covers Lauren's Bronx childhood (he was born Ralph Lifshitz and changed his name in his teens) and the path to his fashion empire, which now brings in $2 billion a year. Throughout, McDowell emphasizes the spirit of Lauren's clothing, which, he says, stands for "much of what Americans and the rest of the world consider important aspects of his country's culture and life." The text is fawning (McDowell regards Lauren as possessing a "protean genius") and comprehensive (e.g., he explains the logistics of one of Lauren's fashion shoots, on a private ranch in Hawaii, which used lion cubs and a zebra as props). The photographs of Lauren all fit the mold of the all-American hero: in one shot he's wearing a cowboy hat, riding in a jeep with his family; in another, he and his wife, Ricky, wade in the ocean, arms around each other; in yet another, the khaki-clad designer thoughtfully examines a piece of clothing alongside his colleagues. . They're all oozing with preppiness and Americana, making this a fine tribute to the man who made it cool for guys to wear pink. (Feb.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description
This lavish book gives the inside story on the fashion icon, Ralph Lauren, one of the world's greatest designers. Ralph Lauren is the first designer in the history of fashion to create clothes so archetypal of their time and place that they have almost come to symbolise a nation. Largely ignoring the vagaries of fashion change, he has taken the best of the past and recast it for the present and in so doing has given international cachet to the weft and warp of American life. Colin McDowell not only tells the life story of Ralph Lauren - his beginnings as a tie salesman to the opening of his first store in New York - but he examines the roots of Lauren's Americana and what has inspired him. Colin McDowell has been given unprecedented access to the behind-the-scenes world of Ralph Lauren along with the full support of the designer, his family, friends and colleagues. This book is a celebration and an exploration of the themes that have inspired him and provides a deep insight into the man behind the style.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not enough on "the Style",
By A Customer
This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, the Vision, the Style (Hardcover)
I am a Ralph Lauren fan, but like others who've reviewed this title, I was disappointed that there weren't more photos of the beautiful clothes -- the style -- from the archives. I had hoped to see more fashion than what was included. In a recent fashion magazine tribute, for example, there were several pieces of wonderful fashion from the archives -- a military jacket, tuxedo jacket, etc -- that epitomized the Lauren style. This sort of thing was sorely lacking in this book. Just not enough of a good thing, and not as lush as you'd expect.
1.0 out of 5 stars
an airbrushed rehash,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, the Vision, the Style (Hardcover)
I was thoroughly disappointed in this book that purports to be an inside look of Ralph Lauren.It is hardly that. The pictures are old and there aren't many outside observers, including folks who wear the clothes, who comment on one of America's leading designer businesses. I also read the Michael Gross book which is far more titillating and detailed...at least you get a fuller portrait of the designer.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but could have been better...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ralph Lauren: The Man, the Vision, the Style (Hardcover)
I've been anxiously awaiting this book's release for the past couple of years. It was originally going to be titled Ralph Lauren and the Spirit of America. Rumor had it last year that Ralph previewed the book and demanded a re-write because he didn't like the copy. It's a nice book, and if you are into Ralph Lauren, you should check it out. However, be aware that it's not up to the standard Ralph himself would have produced. It covers all aspects of Ralph Lauren, from his childhood and personal life to the history of Polo. It is fawning as the reviews say, and the writing is just plain boring at times. Still, it is a good overview of Ralph. The photographs are where it really disappointed me. There are relatively few, and many of them have been seen before. The pictures are not comprehensive in any sense. It offers reprints of ads (mostly recent, although a few from over the years), a few personal photographs of Ralph and his family, and pictures of the stores (for some reason heavily focused on the Chicago location - almost no photos of the mansion). I would have appreciated a bigger selection from the archives or older ads and a few more "behind the scenes" shots. The shots of Ralph's office and of him in a fitting session are so small you can hardly make anything out of them. I read the Michael Gross biography first, definitely more readable, but it's mostly second hand gossip. Here you get the sanitized version, in a prettier package. Don't expect any surprises though.
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