The British Fashion Council announced today that Ralph Lauren will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award in Fashion at The Fashion Awards 2016 in partnership with Swarovski. The designer will be honoured for his invaluable contribution to the fashion industry on Monday 5th December at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Over the past 50 years, Ralph Lauren and his iconic brand have helped shape and define the American fashion identity in a unique and resonant way. Through his tireless commitment to design, innovation, business and philanthropy, Ralph Lauren has established himself as a pillar of the global fashion community.
Ralph Lauren introduced his tie and menswear business in 1967, and only five years later was presenting a full line of Polo by Ralph Lauren menswear at New York Fashion Week in 1972, the same year he launched a womenswear line. The Ralph Lauren family of brands has since shaped the contemporary image of quintessential Americana, encompassing Lauren’s realisation of an aspirational lifestyle with glamour, sophistication and integrity. With campaigns shot by long-term collaborators like Bruce Weber, Shelia Metzner, Mark Seliger and Stephen Meisel, the Ralph Lauren brand has cemented a visual heritage that is instantly recognisable and rightly celebrated.
Since the creation of the classic polo shirt, American athletic excellence has become synonymous with Ralph Lauren, and the brand has gone on to outfit some of the nation’s most successful sportsmen and women. Ralph Lauren has been responsible for countless cultural moments that have shaped the fashion world, from iconic and cinematic advertising imagery, early adoption and integration of technology, and a long-lasting romance with Hollywood’s story-telling and glamour, from `Annie Hall’s’ endlessly imitated casual sophistication to the fairy-tale gown Gwyneth Paltrow wore to collect her Oscar.
Dame Natalie Massenet, Chairman British Fashion Council commented: “Ralph Lauren is an exemplary designer and businessman. He has helped to define an era in both American and global fashion with his singular vision; I know that most of us would say he has inspired us immeasurably. He has built an outstanding legacy and I look forward to celebrating him for years to come.”
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