Unique Minds 11: Ralph Lauren

Alright, I've talked to the manufactures this week and going to see them next week to choose what t-shirt I would like to use. Also got a really clear idea of packaging for both the caps and t-shirts, so just hang tight those waiting ;)

Today I'm doing the blog on the designer Ralph Lauren, and the clothing brand which goes by the same name.

Ralph Lauren had a rather ordinary childhood, he was born to a working-class family of orthodox jews in 1939s and was the third-youngest sibling, and although he turned out to be one of the most prolific fashion designers on the planet he initially was wearing his brother's hand-me-downs. It seemed from a young age he always wanted to be the good guy, the hero of the story and so he would fantasize about being a film star and having everything that he could ever imagine. And this is the image he would later portray himself as to the media and the masses, however, his life was never this straight forward.

He never got a degree and was looking for his place in the world when he decided he would like to start up his own business, and came up with the idea of not just selling clothing, but selling clothing and a lifestyle. This was and still is one of Ralph Laurens key selling points, they make you feel that by buying and wearing the clothes you are becoming the person you want to be, this could be a cowboy, a movie star, a world-famous model or just a slightly improved version of yourself. This is clear when you go on the Ralph Lauren website, there is a model wearing some clothes that seemed inspired by the wild west, but he isn't just wearing the clothes, he is surrounded by the lifestyle as well; horses, snow, mountains, people playing polo, all these little details come together to turn some half-decent pieces into something that you want to buy in order to just get a glimpse of that lifestyle in your life. It's very clever. 

And this is exactly what Ralph wanted to achieve, he watched movies and wanted to be like the characters in them, the heroes who had everything they could ever need or want, and made people think the same way, that by buying Ralph Lauren clothes they could transform themselves into whatever they could imagine. 

When he first tried to sell some ties that he had designed and made to Bloomingdales, they said no, they wouldn't sell the ties unless the now-iconic Ralph Lauren logo was removed. For most people, this would be a simple decision, remove the logo in order to sell the ties and make a big profit which you could then use to fund the business further. Ralph, however, refused to sell the ties unless the logo was on them, showing how much he believed in his brand and the power the logo would have in the future. Bloomingdales eventually contacted Ralph and said they would have the ties even if the logo was on them. This started up a collaboration between the two companies and would eventually lead to Ralph Lauren setting up a boutique in Bloomingdales. It just shows the power of having confidence in your brand and sticking to what you believe in.

Ralph Lauren would frequently model the clothes in adverts and was effectively the face of the brand. He was portraying the lifestyle people thought of when they bought Ralph Lauren, fast cars, big houses, constant happiness, however, in reality, it wasn't that simple. Ralph Lauren has faced multiple financial setbacks over the years meaning on one occasion Ralph had to invest 100k of his personal savings into the company in order to save it. He also found out he had a brain tumor which was luckily benign, which made him think about his life more after the successful surgery. After the operation however he went back to work and worked harder than ever, setting up a new sportswear section of the business along with perfume. 

While looking like a success to the general public he really did learn as he went along, an example of this is after he opened the $30 million flagship store and made 110 thousand on the first day, asking whether 'it was good or not'. In 1997 it was the top-selling designer brand worldwide, with stores opening all over the world.

The main philosophy I take away from Ralph Lauren (as a person and as a brand) is that nothing is ever perfect, and there are always elements to improve. However, this shouldn't stop you from moving forward and learning as you go along. The main thing you need is confidence.

What would I change about Ralph Lauren (the brand)?: 

If I was in charge of the brand I would first find a way to tackle the resell market on Ralph Lauren items, as a quick search on google finds countless used pieces for about 1/10th of the original retail price, with them being usually just as good quality, and in some cases better quality than what is offered at the moment on there official website and in stores. Why buy something new when a slightly used version is being sold for a fraction of the price?

This is a problem lots of the older designer brands face, such as Lacoste and Ralph Lauren, is that they are not keeping up with the times in terms of people buying and selling branded items on re-sell websites. So what I would do is embrace this change and set up an area on the Ralph Lauren website which includes older pieces that have either been fixed if broken or slightly altered to appeal to a new set of people. This way the brand is not getting devalued and I would not sell used items directly to the consumer but instead change them and alter them enough in order to sell them as unique standalone pieces. This would encourage people to shop on the website more as these pieces would be roughly half the price of what else would be on offer, it would also appeal to the environmentally aware consumer as the fashion industry is notorious for creating waste and so by re-using old clothes and finding new uses for them you are helping the environment.  

I would also cut back on how many items are in each collection and keep it more focused, and I would definitely focus the target demographic the brand is supposed to be appealing to because at the moment it's hard to tell. Nearly all of there models look like they're in there late teens/early 20s but the clothes they are wearing I feel doesn't appeal to that market demographic that much anymore- and even if there are a few pieces that do they will likely find something similar on the re-sell market anyway, meaning Ralph Lauren won't get to see that money.

I mean I found this on the website 'Our collection of men's designer hoodies and sweatshirts will inject your wardrobe with a distinctive urban style. Make a statement pairing a pullover or fleece hoodie with slim-fit jeans or show a streetwise sensibility teaming a Polo hoodie or sweatshirt with trainers.' I think this proves they are trying to appeal to the younger generation but at the moment just feel out of touch, so yeah I think they need to re-approach who they are marketing to.

Some Ralph Lauren pieces I like:

Some I don't like:

↓↓ wtf even is this ↓↓

See you next week with another blog, if you have any interest at all in JELNO try and spread the word as much as possible it's a massive help <3

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Have a good week ;)