The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

bitedesignerprofile clothing designer, to include bedding, rugs and décor after discov- ering there was a lack of choices and quality on the market. African safari was the basis of the Spring 1984 collection and its subsequent ad campaign which anticipated the release of the award-winning film Out of Africa that came out the following year. In 1991, the limited-edition Polo Bear inspired by a stuffed bear that Lauren received as a gift from his staff (it was wearing clothes modelled on the designer’s own) was launched. Soon, the bear was embroidered onto sweaters, formal slippers and accessories. The same year, the visionary received the CFDA (Council of Fash- ion Designers America) Lifetime Achievement Award presented by legendary actress Audrey Hepburn. “You have to do what you believe in and stay with it,” Lauren said at the time. “Never give it up.” He then ventured into sports with the Stadium collection, performance-driven activewear that, thanks to its bold colours and eye-catching graphics, became one of Polo’s most collected. Inspired by the finest European tailoring, the Purple Label em- bodied unprecedented levels of refinement and style made its de- but in 1995. The launch campaign featured Lauren wearing a dou- ble-breasted chalk-stripe suit from the collection. The same year, he launched Ralph Lauren Paint, offering more than 400 distinct hues, across five lifestyle collections. “A colour is capable of chang- ing the way you feel and the way you act,” said Lauren. The 1999 Oscars saw actress Gwyneth Paltrow grace the red carpet in a pink gown designed by Lauren for the occasion. It was quite fitting as the actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1998 romance-drama Shakespeare in Love at the ceremony. Nothing could stop Lauren when he opened his first eatery, RL Restaurant in 1999, adjacent to his Chicago store and offering a perfected take on the classics that would pave the way for future restaurants. At the brand’s palazzo inside the Italian fashion capital, Lauren host the men’s runway shows in Milan for the Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 Purple Label collections. In 2006, he became the first de- signer to create uniforms for on-court officials at Wimbledon in the tournament’s 120-year history. The following year, he won his second CFDA award, this time for Menswear Designer of the Year and also received the first-ever American Fashion Legend Award presented by Oprah Winfrey. “Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is very quickly. Style is forever” – Ralph Lauren