The Rake

RALPH LAUREN 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED AND NUMBERED EDITION HERITAGE TIE SET FOR THE RAKE

We all fantasise about inventing a time machine that would allow us to reach through the miasma of decades past, march into a Ferrari dealership in 1963 and lay down a deposit on one of the 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs ever made. Or back to Arles in 1889 to seek out the genius iconoclast Vincent van Gogh and purchase from him the work of totemic majesty that is Starry Night. But personally I’ve always wanted to return to 1967, two years before I was born, when a 28-year-old Ralph Lauren had the seminal inspiration that created the single most unique, enduring, original and visionary ready-towear empire and the first true American luxury brand.

Over the next 50 years he would evolve, hone and refine an art form as singular as Hemingway’s literature or Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionism. He would distil the best parts of America — its ethics, its optimism, its easy casual cool — into a new language written through clothing, and transport this unique vision

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Rake

The Rake1 min read
Subscribe To the Rake
Subscribe to The Rake and receive your regular consignment of artisanal luxury and elegant, classic men’s style. Visit www.TheRake.com ■
The Rake3 min read
Contributors
Rafe is an English actor who was born and raised in London. He has enjoyed a varied career spanning more than 20 years. Recently he opened Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in the West End, playing Atticus Finch, for which he garnere
The Rake3 min read
Party Like It’s 1979
Sometimes things just work out. They align, often looking and feeling effortless. No, I’m not talking about me on the dancefloor aged 16; rather, Piaget as a global brand and watchmaker in 2024. No maker has enjoyed such incredible momentum, which, i

Related Books & Audiobooks