Before we get started, let me clarify that I am not a shill for Polo Ralph Lauren. Nonetheless, as I am sure you all know, I’m a big fan of the man and his company. Ralph Lauren is an American success story in the best of ways and an enormous influence for designers and sartorialists across the globe.
It turns out that this is more than my mere humble opinion. Ralph Lauren was just given the #1 spot on DNR’s Power 100 list. Giorgio Armani came in at #2. With his company celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, Ralph has been everywhere this year, from the covers of numerous magazines to the cover of his own enormous retrospective coffee table book. Apart from the classic and glamorous lifestyle that he has firmly established in the hearts of the aspiring gentry, never forget that Ralph Lauren is first and foremost an accomplished businessman.
His company’s stock (RL) is strong and with a market cap of $7.19 billion Lauren is a very legitimate powerhouse on the world stage. New product lines like Rugby are proving to be early successes and his forthcoming American Living collection, to be sold through J.C. Penney, is highly anticipated by the market.
Speaking of the market, RL’s net income has grown 30%; combined with a strong business plan, aggressive market expansion, and advances into new luxury accessory lines – including timepieces, about which I wrote a few weeks ago – you have an industry leader ready to take an even bigger piece of the pie.
For the full DNR article, go here. To visit Ralph Lauren’s website, go here. To visit Rugby’s website, go here.