On Saturday, the Commander in Chief of the United States of America met his Commander in Chief as Ralph Lauren became the first fashion designer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dressed in a tweed blazer, knitted tie and soft, dark sneakers, 85-year-old Lauren was described in an introduction as “classic yet creative, timeless yet innovative.” He was praised for ‘reminding us of our distinct style as a nation of dreamers and doers’.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, founded by John F. Kennedy, is the nation’s highest civilian honor. It has been awarded to a wide range of cultural, business and political figures, including Babe Ruth, Mother Teresa, Julia Child, Warren Buffett, John McCain and Rush Limbaugh.
If there was ever a fashion designer worthy of this award, it is Mr. Lauren. Mr. Lauren, a son of the Bronx, marketed a preppy image to the upwardly mobile masses and built his eponymous company into a multimillion-dollar company — a company he remains executive chairman and chief creative officer of for nearly half a century after he founded it.
The fashion world, which has been largely absent from the event in the past, was well represented at the White House on Saturday. Together with Mr. Lauren, he was presented with President Biden’s gold-plated medallion by Anna Wintour, a steely Briton (and longtime supporter of Democratic causes) who has been editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988.
In her introduction, Ms. Wintour, who was dressed in a shin-length plaid coat and forgo her ever-present oversized sunglasses for the occasion, was praised for “using fashion as a mirror to reflect our culture.”
Other recipients on Saturday included Hillary Clinton, Bono, José Andrés, Lionel Messi and George Soros.
Mr Lauren was joined at the ceremony by his wife of 60 years, Ricky Lauren, wearing a sharp black suit, and his older brother Jerry Lauren. Also in attendance were Mr. Lauren’s three children: Andrew, David and Dylan.
Born in New York in 1939 to immigrant parents, Mr. Lauren entered the clothing market in the late 1960s by introducing a line of men’s ties, which he sold from a drawer in a showroom in the Empire State Building. Soon, Mr. Lauren launched a holistic shoe-to-suit brand with ambitious prep clothing.
The rest is well-known fashion history, as Mr. Lauren rode his brand’s pony logo to the heavenly heights of American fashion. In a sense, he found success by perfecting the building blocks of the all-American look: jeans, polo shirts, white T-shirts, flannels and work boots. Like Mr. Lauren told luxury magazine Robb Report in 2023: “I liked things that were American.” His brand’s best-selling American flag sweaters add an exclamation point.
Mr. Lauren expanded the brand to include attractive homewares and personally embodied the aspirational image put forth by his label’s cinematic advertising campaigns. Mr. Lauren’s assets include a garage full of cars and a sprawling ranch in the Colorado mountains. Mr. Lauren’s oft-photographed homes feature leather furnishings, saddle blankets and polished wood accents and are a lived-in scene of his refined, all-American look.
Through his brand, the designer has been a patriotic cheerleader, and if not a friend, then at least an acquaintance of many political figures. For decades, his company has outfitted the United States Olympic team, dressing athletes in all types of sequin and stripe sportswear. In 2022, during a period of national scrutiny on racial inequality, Ralph Lauren collaborated with Morehouse College and Spelman College, two historically black colleges in Atlanta, on a collection that included silk wrap dresses and a schoolboy blazer – smart pieces that defined today’s look defy. sweatpants-loving students.
There is a dual appeal to Mr. Lauren’s clothes. Nancy Reagan and Michelle Obama both wore the brand’s designs during their stay in the White House. In 2017, Melania Trump wore a cashmere dress from the brand to her husband’s swearing-in ceremony. Mr. Lauren’s son, David, married George HW Bush’s granddaughter, Lauren, in 2011.
Mr. Lauren’s company appears to have special meaning for the Bidens. Mr. Biden wore a Ralph Lauren overcoat and suit to his 2021 inauguration, while Jill Biden, who has often been photographed in the brand’s designs (including on the cover of Ms. Wintour’s Vogue last year), was the big guest at Ralph Lauren’s most recent runway show, held in the Hamptons in September.
