Happy Birthday

We owe today's birthday boy a great deal of thanks.  Although he can neither draw nor sew, his intuitive sense of style and taste have combined to create the aspirational Ralph's world. Without Ralph, too many iconic pieces of menswear would have been consigned to the dustbin of  costume or history.

Ralph's is truly an American story; a rags to riches embodiment of Gatsby himself.  The pony may be ubiquitous, but most men's wardrobes look decidedly better when they wear a bit of Ralph. Frankly, I'll love Ralph forever for creating the women's cologne Lauren.

Happy Birthday sir.

Toad

Mr. Big

It's been a good year for Mr. Big. Married off his 2 youngest kids, the company stock is doing well, the car collection was on display in Paris, the new lines are performing better than expected, all in all not bad for a kid from the Bronx.

It's easy to have sport at Ralph expense, but certainly not on his birthday. His ubiquitous, now cliché, over priced Big Pony polos, the BIG BOOK, the car collection, the lifestyle are all fodder for amusement. Much of his design sensibility may be stuck in the 1930''s, but as a society we owe Ralph a great deal.

To my view of the world, without his impermature, a lot of clothes we take for granted would have died unmourned long ago. Who else kept tweed alive? The citizens of Lewis and Harris Island celebrate Ralph's life, and are eternally grateful for his annual fall looks. It keeps them alive. Fair Isle sweaters? Norfolk Jackets? No one else, but Ralph.

Imagine the newspaper and magazine publishers in fashion or design that would commit ritual suicide before losing RL's advertising. Single handedly Ralph Lauren Corporation must keep much of the lifestyle publishing world employed in these difficult times.

Ralph represents a taste, style and level of quality that few purveyors imagine, much less strive for. He's one of a kind.



Happy Birthday Mr. Lauren. I wish you many more.

Toad