Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living
HANDE RENSHAW
Editor
JANUARY 16th, 2024
Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living is a landmark volume celebrating one of the most influential style innovators of our time. The book takes us through the designer’s inspirational vision of living, his pioneering lifestyle and ground breaking approach to design.
Photography: Pieter Estersohn, Barbra Walz, Francois Halard & Bjorn Wallander
The living area of Ricky and Ralph Lauren’s guesthouse in Montauk, NY. Photo: Pieter Estersohn
‘We bought the ranch in 1982 and named it Double RL after Ricky [my wife] and me. Often, I’ll greet our guests on horseback at the main gate.’ Photo: Barbra Walz
Ralph Lauren’s signature ability to create transportive environments begins with his private homes that inspire his iconic lifestyle collections. Photo: Francois Halard
Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living, Rizzoli New York, 2023 is available now. Courtesy of Rizzoli, New York.
Ralph Lauren’s monumental impact on the way we live is as recognisable today as it was groundbreaking 40 years ago. Photo: Francois Halard
“The reason I decided to enter home furnishing 40 years ago was because I had something to say. I knew I wanted to make as complete a statement for the home as I had with my fashion collections.”
Dining outdoors at Ricky and Ralph Lauren’s Double RL Ranch in Colorado. Photo above & main hero photo: Bjorn Wallander
Ralph Lauren has been one of the most inspiring lifestyle innovators of our lifetime — his signature Americana aesthetic captivating generation after generation.
His iconic lifestyle collections, inspirational vision of living, pioneering lifestyle and his approach to design has been the inspiration for multitudes of homes across the world. We all want the lifestyle Lauren effortlessly puts together.
Lauren’s incredible vision has now been brought to life with a stunning and intimately written book that spans decades of innovation and influence by the iconic American designer. Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living, published by Rizzoli New York, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the home collection with the first comprehensive volume dedicated to the designer’s signature style and pioneering lifestyle approach to design.
‘The reason I decided to enter home furnishing 40 years ago was because I had something to say. I knew I wanted to make as complete a statement for the home as I had with my fashion collections. The Home collection was my way of sharing a complete world - a way to share my vision of living,’ he shares.
The book takes us chronically through the many homes that Lauren and his wife Ricky lived in—from a New York City apartment and Bedford Country estate, to a Colorado ranch, Jamaican villa and seaside home in Montauk—we not only look inside the family’s impeccable homes, but also see the influence of the evolution of his clothing designs.
The homes are deeply personal expressions of Lauren’s vision for living; captivating imagery is complemented by essays and descriptions written in his own words that intimately express the meaning of home, sharing inspiration and anecdotes for each residence.
Within the book, the pages take us on a captivating visual journey of the designer’s trailblazing innovations that revolutionised the home industry, conceptualised residential retailing and also perfected the art of hospitality. Put simply, Lauren has created a multifaceted world that evokes emotion and inspires a more beautiful way of life.
Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living honours the life and work of a true visionary and innovator. Ralph Lauren’s monumental impact on the way we live is as recognisable today as it was ground breaking 40 years ago. His vision is not about trends of the moment, but is built upon values and things that last — his legacy will continue to shape the places we call home for generations to come.
This in an edited extract from ‘Ralph Lauren: A Way Of Living’ published by Rizzoli, New York. Purchase the book online now here.