We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Ralph Lauren, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the brand and the man behind it that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: Ralph Lauren’s Clothing Is Featured in Annie Hall
In the iconic Woody Allen film, the character of Alvy Singer wears several Ralph Lauren jackets. Diane Keaton’s character can also be seen wearing one of Lauren’s tuxedo jackets.
Number Seven: He Did Not Invent the Polo Shirt
Despite the fact that Lauren is most famous for his brand of polo shirts, he’s not actually responsible for inventing it. The true inventor of the polo shirt was Rene Lacoste, who plastered that cute little crocodile on it.
Number Six: He Nearly Went Bankrupt
In 1972, Lauren was struggling so hard that his brand nearly went bankrupt. Though people loved his brand and it was widely considered to be successful, he and his company had trouble handling the finances.
Number Five: He Had a Brain Tumor
But thankfully, Lauren was able to get it removed. Ralph Lauren was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 1984 and had it removed the very same year.
Number Four: He Founded a Cancer Research Center
Lauren worked with Katharine Graham – the late president of the Washington Post – to found the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research. The center is located in Washington, D.C. and honors Nina Hyde, who was the former fashion editor for the Washington Post.
Number Three: He Owns an Impressive Car Collection
Lauren has more than 70 cars! Some of his cars are so special they could be considered priceless.
Number Two: His Daughter Owns a Famous Candy Shop
Ever heard of Dylan’s Candy Bar? Well, the Dylan in that name is none other than Ralph Lauren’s daughter, Dylan Lauren. Dylan grew up with a fond affection for candy and decided to pursue her dream with her own candy shop.
Number One: He Made Tyson Beckford Famous
You might be familiar with the razor sharp cheekbones of Tyson Beckford, but what most people don’t know is that when he was hired by Lauren to be the face of Polo Sport, he was the first African-American model in such a position. Beckford went on to be incredibly successful in his career as a model. We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Ralph Lauren!