Who Is Ralph Lauren?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Jane O'Connor, Who H.Q., Stephen Marchesi (Illustrator)

The polo player with the raised mallet--everyone knows the Ralph Lauren logo. Learn the amazing story of the man who is a true American fashion icon.

Born in the Bronx, even as a teenager Ralph Lauren was known for his distinctive fashion sense, having a taste for both classic preppy clothes and vintage looks like beat-up leather jackets. He got his start in the fashion business by selling ties that he designed. From ties he went on to create a global fashion empire. In this easy-to-read biography, best-selling author and Who Was? creator Jane O'Connor explains exactly how a fashion line is created--from first drawings to models strutting on the runway.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens

112 pages, Library Binding

Published October 17, 2017

About the author

Since the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website

Reviews

[Johnny G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting "Who Is" about the creator of Polo clothes, first for men, then for women. Ralph Laruen had the idea to widen ties, sell high-quality clothes, and not substitute for materials or ideas that did not have high standards. As a result, he became a huge hit in fashion, a very rich man, and also someone who did a lot of good. He helped to restore the original Stars and Stripes flag from 1812, opened a cancer center in New York, and designed the clothes for all the US Olympics teams going back to 2008. I liked this book and learned a lot!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sounds like a cool guy!

[DeBora Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick short books get right to Ralph Lauren’s life without going to deep into details. Great for kids with designer aspirations because it shows you don’t need to know much about how to draw or sew to make it in the fashion industry. One just has to know how to market themselves.

[Katrina Winchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving these books. I know they are designed for young readers, but the content is interesting and the subjects fascinating. Although there are books out there about Ralph Lauren, I've never run across them. These books give a good insight into the lives of the people they are about and I would highly recommend them to young readers to encourage them to read more biographies.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick short books get right to Ralph Lauren’s life without going to deep into details. Good for kids to see, it may allow them to aspire and push themselves further. One just has to know how to market themselves. The ratio of words to pictures is nice. I like the pictures because it allows up to envision more than just the word we can kind of build our own live scene in our head.

[Margaret A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know about that famous clothing line with the horse jouster on the front? Well that is the Ralph Lauren Brand and in Who Is Ralph Lauren? By Jane O’Conner you get to learn about how that clothing line came to be. This book is mostly about Ralph Lauren’s life so far, how Ralph Lauren got into fashion and how he became famous because he made people look at fashion a different way. I think people who want to be an entrepreneur, an expiring fashion designer, or like to read about people’s amazing accomplishments and how they got to accomplish them you should read this book. I liked this book because it is cool to learn about how the Ralph Lauren clothing line was created and how that clothing line became really popular all over the world. I think that you should read this book because it was dramatic, emphatic, and a little emotional.

[Jack Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born in the Bronx, even as a young child Ralph Lauren was known for his unmistakable style sense, having a desire for both great preppy garments and vintage looks like beat-up leather coats. He got his beginning in the style business by selling ties that he structured. From attaches he proceeded to make a worldwide design domain. In this simple to-understand account, smash hit creator and Who Was? maker Jane O'Connor clarifies precisely how a design line is made—from first drawings to models swaggering on the runway.

I really liked this book because in this series you really learn a lot about a person in a little bit of time. This specif book was no exception, it also contains lots of pictures, diagrams, and fun facts.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fashion and style.

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After publishing over 100 "Who Was..." books, the series can veer away from standard historical biographies and come out with books like this one. The subject matter made me pick up the book, but the writing and illustrations were actually really good. I don't know if 2nd-4th graders want to learn about Ralph Lauren but it certainly is a change from presidents, scientists, and whatnot.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a bit of stuff about Ralph Lauren but I think I would have enjoyed more photos vs. the drawings and to have some of the historical information at the end of each chapter, rather than just popping up in the middle of a chapter, where it sometimes interrupted a sentence.

[Vera Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is Ralph Lauren was about this man that is really famous. He is a fashion designer. He first started designing ties then he got famous that designed dresses. Fact: Ralph Lauren is still alive but he is old. My favorite part is when he started designing dresses.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the progression of Ralph Lauren's career from knowing how to dress fashionably as a young child through selling ties and eventually becoming one of the world's best known designers. It was a fast read and very informative.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First one to borrow from Columbus Library, and rated on Goodreads ✨

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it

[Stephanie Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting biography!

[CL]

His son is married to Bush family and his daughter is founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar

[Nguyễn Trọng Nhân · Rating 5 out of 5]

“it’s not a job, it’s a joy”-Ralph said

[Dakota Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked it

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with my son for a school project. Easy read. A lot of useful information, even I learned something new.

[Nori Sa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ralph turned down an offer from prestigious Bloomingdale’s even though he was dying to sell because it requires that the tie to be a quarter inch narrower.

[Nikki G]

Strangely similar to Michael Gross' Genuine Authentic minus Lauren's affair and other details.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ralph Lauren restored the original American flag in addition to being a highly successful fashion designer. He has given millions of dollars to cancer research, Aids patients and literacy programs. Read this exciting biography!

[Jenny Rekeweg · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting. I didn't know any of this information on Ralph.