‘The reason I decided to enter home furnishing 40 years ago was because I had something to say. I knew I wanted to make as complete a statement for the home as I have in apparel,’ says Ralph Lauren who, in 1983, became the first fashion designer to jump with both feet into the world of homeware.
This was, at the time, a revolutionary step. But Lauren was a man with a plan: ‘I designed products for the collection that I would like to own. Items that I, as a consumer, couldn’t find in the stores. Designing one sheet pattern or style isn’t making a statement in home furnishings. I don’t design a single blouse or a skirt, I design a point of view.’
That unique viewpoint is the subject of Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living (£55, Rizzoli), a new book that offers a deep dive into how the designer’s interiors ethos (reflected in his own homes, many of which are featured in its pages) has taken over the world. Here, we share some important steps on that journey...
1983
Ralph Lauren’s first Home collection is launched, and introduces four distinct styles that would become synonymous with the brand: ‘Log Cabin’, ‘New England’,‘Thoroughbred’ (a celebration of aristocratic style and tradition) and ‘Jamaica’. Including everything from textiles and wallpapers to china, glassware and floor coverings, this was a bold and confident debut.
1986
‘The Mansion’, the brand’s first flagship store, opens in New York, combining fashion and homeware beneath the roof of one impressive French Renaissance Revival-style building. ‘I have always wanted my own store to be in a home because it affords me the opportunity of expressing a total way of life in the most gracious manner possible,’ said Ralph Lauren at the time.
1992
Just when the world thinks it knows what to expect from a Ralph Lauren interior, the designer heads in an exciting, new and decidedly more modern direction with the launch of a modular furniture collection– the undisputed star of which was the blocky ‘RL2000’ armchair.
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1995
Only the king of nostalgic Americana would launch a debut paint range with colour names that included ‘Picket Fence’ and ‘Golden Retriever’. Like so many of Ralph Lauren’s decisions for the brand, this one was deeply personal – his father was a talented artist, but also painted interiors to make a living.
2000
Despite the breadth of Ralph Lauren’s initial homeware offering, it wasn’t until the millennium that the designer decided to launch a lighting collection. It was worth the wait, with pieces like the ‘Equilibrium’ showcasing the luxury brand’s attention to craftsmanship and detail.
2003
Always keen to draw inspiration from his passions, Ralph Lauren translates the sleek carbon fibre of his beloved McLaren F1 car into the ‘RL-CF1’ chair. The cutting-edge material would go on to be the star of future furniture designs, as well as tabletop and decorative accessories.
2010
Ralph Lauren’s Paris flagship opens at 173 Boulevard Saint- Germain in a 17th-century hôtel particulier and hosts the company’s first-ever restaurant in Europe, delighting visitors by (very fittingly for the brand) serving American fries and hamburgers in the most elegant of settings.
2019
Ralph Lauren makes its mark in the heart of the British craft tradition by announcing a collaboration with historic pottery brand Burleigh. The dining collection is a true representation through design of the ‘special relationship’ between Britain and the US.
2022-2023
During last year’s Milan Design Week, Ralph Lauren became the talk of the town by opening the doors of the Milanese palazzo that has been the company’s Italian headquarters since 1999.
‘I have always been inspired by the way people live out their dreams all over the world and the city of Milan especially has touched me with its refinement, beauty and history,’ said Lauren, whose presence at the event has continued to be a talking point – this year, the Ralph Lauren store (with its façade decorated in prints) was one of the most-favoured spots for an aperitivo.
