Ralph Lauren Biography: Wife, Age, Children, Net Worth, Parents, Perfume, Shirts, Shoes

Biography

Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939, in The Bronx, New York, is a legendary American fashion designer and business mogul.

As the founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967, he turned his vision of refined, timeless style into a globally recognized brand synonymous with luxury and classic American fashion. What began as a collection of men’s ties soon expanded into a vast empire encompassing apparel, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings, with his Polo Ralph Lauren label becoming a cultural icon.

A self-made billionaire, Lauren is admired for his design sensibility and marketing brilliance, earning honors such as the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. Beyond fashion, he is a dedicated philanthropist, actively supporting cancer research and historic preservation.

Executive chairman of Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Ralph Lifshitz
Stage Name:	Ralph Lauren
Born:	14 October 1939 (age 85 years old)
Place of Birth:	The Bronx, New York, United States
Nationality:	American
Education:	Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, DeWitt Clinton High School, Baruch College
Height:	1.68 m
Parents:	Frank Lifshitz, Fraydl Kotlar
Siblings:	Jerry Lauren, Thelma Fried, Lenny Lifshitz, George Poitras Lauren
Spouse:	Ricky Anne Loew-Beer (m. 1964)
Girlfriend • Partner:	Not Dating
Children:	Dylan Lauren, David Lauren, Andrew Lauren
Occupation:	Fashion Designer • Businessman
Net Worth:	$8 billion (USD)

Early Life & Education

Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939, in The Bronx, New York City, grew up in a working-class neighborhood as the youngest of four children in a Jewish immigrant family.

His parents, Frieda Fraydl Kotlar (née Cutler) and Frank Lifshitz, were Ashkenazi Jews from Pinsk, Belarus, who immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. His father, a house painter with artistic inclinations, may have influenced Ralph’s creative sensibilities. Ralph was raised alongside his three older siblings, Jerry Lauren, Thelma Fried, Lenny Lifshitz, and George Poitras Lauren.

Lauren’s early life was steeped in his family’s cultural and religious traditions, though he did not place much public emphasis on religion in later years.

He began his education at the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, a Jewish day school, before transferring to DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx, where he graduated in 1957. As a teenager, he developed a strong interest in fashion, using earnings from part-time jobs to buy stylish, high-quality suits.

After high school, he enrolled at Baruch College in Manhattan to study business but left after two years to pursue his career. His experiences growing up in New York’s vibrant and diverse environment fueled his ambition and laid the foundation for his future in fashion.

Career

Ralph Lauren’s journey from humble beginnings to global fashion icon is a story of vision, determination, and timeless style. After leaving Baruch College and serving in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1964, he entered the fashion world with no formal design training.

He started as a salesman at Brooks Brothers, learning the ins and outs of menswear, before joining the tie manufacturer Beau Brummel in 1967. At just 28, he convinced the company to let him design his own line of wide, European-inspired ties under the name Polo—a brand that would soon become synonymous with sophistication and effortless elegance.

With a $50,000 loan in 1968, Lauren officially launched Polo Ralph Lauren, expanding from ties into a full menswear collection. Working out of a small showroom in the Empire State Building, he caught the attention of Bloomingdale’s, which, in 1971, gave him his own boutique—a rare achievement for an American designer.

His style, inspired by Ivy League prep, Western adventure, and Hollywood glamour, quickly set him apart. That same year, he introduced a womenswear line, reimagining classic menswear silhouettes for women and cementing his ability to blend elegance with versatility.

The 1970s catapulted Lauren to international fame. His designs for The Great Gatsby (1974) boosted his cultural influence, while the launch of the Polo shirt in 1972, complete with its now-iconic embroidered pony logo, became a worldwide sensation.

By 1986, he had opened his flagship store in New York’s Rhinelander Mansion, a stunning symbol of his brand’s luxurious lifestyle. When the Ralph Lauren Corporation went public in 1997, it became a fashion powerhouse. Over the years, he expanded into fragrances, home furnishings, and even dining, with ventures like Ralph’s Coffee, creating an entire world around his signature aesthetic.

Lauren has earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including multiple CFDA Designer of the Year awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Though he stepped down as CEO in 2015, he remains the executive chairman and chief creative officer, continuing to shape the brand that redefined American luxury.

Social Media

• Instagram: Polo Ralph Lauren (@poloralphlauren) / Ralph Lauren (@ralphlauren)
• Facebook: Ralph Lauren
• Twitter: Ralph Lauren (@RalphLauren) / X

Personal Life

Ralph Lauren is 85 years old, having been born on October 14, 1939. He has been married once, to Ricky Anne Loew-Beer, whom he met in 1964 at an eye doctor’s office where she worked as a receptionist.

The couple wed on December 20, 1964, in New York City and have remained together for over six decades, a rarity in the celebrity world. There is no public record of Lauren having other marriages or significant dating history prior to Ricky, suggesting he settled into a committed relationship early in his adult life.

Ralph and Ricky Lauren have three children together. Their eldest, Andrew Lauren, born in 1969, is a film producer and actor. Their daughter, Dylan Lauren, born in 1974, is an entrepreneur who founded Dylan’s Candy Bar, a high-end candy store chain. Their youngest, David Lauren, born in 1971, is an executive at Ralph Lauren Corporation, serving as Chief Innovation Officer, and is married to Lauren Bush, niece of former President George W. Bush. The couple has five grandchildren through David and Lauren Bush Lauren.

Physically, Ralph Lauren stands at approximately 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters) tall, a detail occasionally noted in profiles of the designer.

Net Worth

Ralph Lauren’s net worth is estimated at approximately $8 billion, according to various sources like Forbes and Bloomberg. This fortune stems from his role as the founder and largest shareholder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global fashion empire he built from a single line of ties in 1967 into a publicly traded company generating billions annually.

His wealth is bolstered by diverse revenue streams, including luxury apparel, fragrances, and home furnishings, as well as significant personal assets like a $350 million car collection and expansive real estate holdings, such as a 17,000-acre Colorado ranch and a Bedford, New York manor. Lauren’s financial success reflects his enduring influence in fashion and strategic business acumen.