Ralph Lauren Entrepernuership
Ralph Lauren Entrepreneurship
The Beginning of an Empire
According to ‘Wikipedia’, Ralph Lauren was born as “Ralph Lifshitz” on the 14th of
October in 1939, in Bronx, New York to Jewish Immigrant parents Fraydl and Frank
Lifshitz. When he was just twelve years old, Ralph Lifshitz was still sharing a bedroom with his two brothers. His mother raised the three boys while their father painted houses. Ralph earned money from a job which he had after school, and saved it to buy expensive suits when he was still in junior high. He took that fashion sense on into adulthood, and created an empire.
By the time he was sixteen years old, Ralph’s brother, Terry, had his and Ralph’s last name changed to “Lauren” to avoid the constant degrading that their name brought in the English language. Although he graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School,
Lauren went on to Baruch College to study business, but he dropped out before getting his degree. His entrepreneurship had already begun, however slowly, and his fellow students could remember him selling ties to them as young as high school. In his high school year book, when asked what he wanted to be when he graduated, under his picture Lauren wrote, “a millionaire.”
After dropping out of college, Lauren went on to serve in the Army of the United
States for two years. Although he never attended fashion school, Lauren went to work at Brooks Brothers as a salesman. Taking his small necktie selling dream and the financial support of a fifty thousand dollar loan from Norman Hilton, who was a clothing manufacturer in Manhattan, Lauren started his own store where he sold wide ties which he designed himself. His “Polo” brand was chosen by Ralph and his older brother because it had always been such a powerful and stylish name. Ralph would later go on to buy the “Polo” name from Hilton.
Entrepreneurial Persistence Triumphs
During the 1960′s, Bloomingdale’s refused to sell Lauren’s ties unless he took his name
off
The Beginning of an Empire
According to ‘Wikipedia’, Ralph Lauren was born as “Ralph Lifshitz” on the 14th of
October in 1939, in Bronx, New York to Jewish Immigrant parents Fraydl and Frank
Lifshitz. When he was just twelve years old, Ralph Lifshitz was still sharing a bedroom with his two brothers. His mother raised the three boys while their father painted houses. Ralph earned money from a job which he had after school, and saved it to buy expensive suits when he was still in junior high. He took that fashion sense on into adulthood, and created an empire.
By the time he was sixteen years old, Ralph’s brother, Terry, had his and Ralph’s last name changed to “Lauren” to avoid the constant degrading that their name brought in the English language. Although he graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School,
Lauren went on to Baruch College to study business, but he dropped out before getting his degree. His entrepreneurship had already begun, however slowly, and his fellow students could remember him selling ties to them as young as high school. In his high school year book, when asked what he wanted to be when he graduated, under his picture Lauren wrote, “a millionaire.”
After dropping out of college, Lauren went on to serve in the Army of the United
States for two years. Although he never attended fashion school, Lauren went to work at Brooks Brothers as a salesman. Taking his small necktie selling dream and the financial support of a fifty thousand dollar loan from Norman Hilton, who was a clothing manufacturer in Manhattan, Lauren started his own store where he sold wide ties which he designed himself. His “Polo” brand was chosen by Ralph and his older brother because it had always been such a powerful and stylish name. Ralph would later go on to buy the “Polo” name from Hilton.
Entrepreneurial Persistence Triumphs
During the 1960′s, Bloomingdale’s refused to sell Lauren’s ties unless he took his name
off