Gawker: Ralph Lauren

Did Ralph Lauren Embarrass America?

Ryan Tate — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:43:14 EDT

Apparently there's a firestorm of controversy over the uniform Ralph Lauren designed for the U.S. team to wear at the opening Olympic ceremonies, and it's not hard to see why. For starters, the damned Ralph Lauren Polo logo totally upstages the Olympic rings logo. It's huge! Also, as shown in a picture after the jump, the uniforms look pretty cheap up close, probably because they were made as part of a rush job sent to Chinese "tailors" at the last minute. The American Politics Journal wrote, "Lauren – and most likely his son David – celebrated not the spirit of athletic competition but themselves and their brand, morphing our athletes into unpaid billboards for the "Polo™" pony and rider that has helped bring the Laurens great... riches." Well, sure, yes, but everyone is kind of past the whole notion of the Olympics as unspoiled, non-commercial amateur competition no? Which brings us to another key criticism of the uniforms, familiar to anyone who has followed the presidential race: They are elitist. Wrote one commenter on Project Rungay:

These outfits presented the United States athletes as rich snobs, frankly. They made the team look like a 1948 yacht club.

Also, the design essentially copies from British, French, and Italian uppercrust aesthetics, thereby undermining the independent streak the U.S. tries so hard to boast in the international community.

Project Rungay sort of agreed, saying the uniforms "look fine," like "classic American sportswear... we honestly think baseball caps would have worked better."

Well, we told you the opening ceremonies were going to look sort of gay.

On the bright side, at least we looked better than most of the other countries, like the New Zealanders below, who look like they were all in some sort of spray-paining accident.

USA!

[Project Rungay]

(Top photos by Ralph Lauren; Lower by Getty Images)

Bushes Don't Want Jew Fashion Scion At Jenna Wedding

Ryan Tate — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:12:11 EDT

President Bush's parents George and Barbara just want what's best for their WASPy descendants, particularly on the occasion of the wedding of their beloved, dignified granddaughter Jenna. That's why they don't want David Lauren, son of Ralph Lauren, to attend. See, David has been dating Jenna's cousin Lauren Bush for three whole years, and still hasn't proposed marriage. "Where's the ring, David?" one source near the family told the Daily News. Also, he's an ancient 36 and she's an innocent 22. And, no doubt worst of all for the patrician Bushes, David Lauren is a Jew, and his Jewy-ness might infect precious Lauren:

"There are religious differences," one [source] points out. "Would he expect her to convert to Judaism?"

Lauren's mother, Sharon, is a devout Christian.

The Daily News did find one Bush insider to dispute George and Barbara Bush's disapproval of Lauren, and to point out that even the elder George Bush didn't get to invite siblings.

NB to David: If you do get invited, don't bring up Grandpa Prescott. So awkward.

[Rush & Molloy]

Art Cooper and Anna Wintour

Gawker — Thu, 01 May 2003 15:17:18 EDT

Scene from departing GQ editor Art Cooper's farewell last night: Vogue editor Anna Wintour arrives with Ralph Lauren. A spy writes, "Cooper made a big point to thank his secretary. He said he hopes her upcoming bio—'The Devil Wears Blue Label'—is a big success. Everyone turned around to watch Anna's reaction...there was none." An unrelated Anna moment, from another reader: "Discussing unrealistic images in women's magazines with Janeane Garofalo on 'the View' this morning, Joy Behar called Anna Wintour a 'war
criminal.'"

André Leon Talley

Gawker — Sat, 12 Apr 2003 15:25:43 EDT

Vogue Editor-at-Large André Leon Talley has a book out, darling. And not just any book. A book about A.L.T. Oh, yes. Titled A.L.T. in homage to Diana Vreeland's D.V. "Concealed and mysterious...so am I," says A.L.T. "Ralph Lauren once said to me, 'I thought you had nothing inside.' But that was because I presented a veneer."
Over the top, as he wants to be [NYT]

Lose-lose for Murdoch

Gawker — Tue, 28 Jan 2003 15:08:51 EST

Chic Happens—where the "weekly" bit of "updated weekly" is some nebulous subjective reality meaning "quarterly" or "annually" or "ohhhh, whenever the fuck we feel like it"—reports that Michael Gross's recent interview with the NY Post isn't running. Gross, the author of the NY Daily News' weekly gossip column "The Word," recently authored the not-so-flattering book about Ralph Lauren, Genuine Authentic, which is being published by Harper Collins. Rupert Murdoch owns both the Post and Harper Collins, which means that run-the-interview or don't-run-the-interview, he's shooting himself in the foot. Which is sort of entertaining.
Short attention span [Chic Happens]

Ralph Lauren as Jay Gatsby

Gawker — Sat, 11 Jan 2003 12:38:53 EST

The NYT's Cathy Horyn reviews two recently released books about Ralph Lauren—Genuine Authentic (HarperCollins), by Michael Gross, and Ralph Lauren: The Man, the Vision, the Style (Rizzoli), by Colin McDowell. McDowell's book, a not-so-sophisticated exercise in literary brownnosing, portrays Lauren as a Bronx-born Horatio Algier who "mesmerizes the American public." (I don't recall ever being mesmerized by a Polo shirt, but I'm not saying it can't happen.) Gross's book is much less flattering. The Ralph Lauren portrayed in Genuine Authentic is a cranky narcissist followed by hordes of "Poloroids" who exacerbate his moodiness by failing to sufficiently praise him. Both books evoke an image of Lauren as Jay Gatsby. For McDowell, it's the glamorous, charming, and charismatic Gatsby. For Gross, it's the delusional, asocial, and reckless Gatsby.
Chasing the threads in the life of Ralph Lauren [NYT]

Ralph Lauren's affair with model Kim Nye

Gawker — Sun, 29 Dec 2002 13:06:35 EST

Michael Gross's new book, Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren, reveals that Lauren had a long-running affair with model Kim Nye, even going to so far as to put her up in an apartment around the corner from his own. The book details the relationship and its repercussions as well as Lauren's personal history. Gross also explores Lauren's controversial decision to change his surname from Lifshitz (proving thereby that in America, even Jewish immigrants can grow up to be Connecticut WASPs.)
Ralph's odorous secret [NY Daily News]