Ricky Ann Lauren (née Loew-Beer;[1] born June 15, 1943[citation needed]), is an American author, artist, photographer, and psychotherapist, and the wife of fashion designer Ralph Lauren.[2][3]

Ricky Lauren
Born
Ricky Ann Loew-Beer

(1943-06-15) June 15, 1943 (age 81)[citation needed]
New York City, U.S.
Alma materHunter College
Occupation(s)Author, artist, photographer
Spouse
(m. 1964)
Children3, including Dylan and David Lauren

Early life

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Born Ricky Ann Loew-Beer,[1] she grew up in New York City.[4] She is the daughter of Austrian immigrants,[4] Margaret Vytouch and Rudolph Loew-Beer.[5] Lauren was an English major at Hunter College. She met her future husband Ralph Lauren at the eye doctor's office where she was working part time. Lauren taught fifth grade and danced for a time in The Bronx.[6] On December 20, 1964, she married Ralph Lauren in New York City.[7] She is the daughter of a Jewish father and a Catholic mother.[8][9]

Career

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Hostess, patron and fundraiser

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Lauren has supported her husband's career as a kind of "silent partner", as summarized by The New York Times.[10] These activities included attending fashion industry events or charities with him,[10][11] hosting parties,[12] and her patronage for charitable events.[13] In 2000, she and her husband established a cancer center which is part of North General Hospital in Harlem. The couple also founded the Ralph and Ricky Lauren Center for the Performing Arts, which is located at the Lexington School for the Deaf, in New York City.[14]

Lauren has been identified as the "Polo Persona", the model by which the Polo advertising campaigns are developed.[10] Ralph identifies her as his muse, writing in his memoir: "I didn't like the girl with all the makeup and high heels. I liked the girl in jeans and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, wearing her boyfriend's jacket. That's the girl I am attracted to. That's the girl I married—Ricky."[15] Ralph acknowledges that when he began designing women's clothes, his interest was piqued by his wife's frustration in finding clothes she would like that could fit her slim and petite build.[16]

Psychotherapist

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After her children were in school, Lauren returned to college, earned her degree, and then worked as a psychotherapist.[11]

Author

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Lauren is an author, artist and photographer best known for her lifestyle and cookbooks.[17] One of her books is Cuisine, Lifestyle, and Legend of the Double RL Ranch,[18][19] of which The New York Times says, "Here is a loving — and really beautiful — picture-book tribute (with history and recipes) to the spot near Telluride that spawned an empire built on denim shirts, tooled turquoise-buckle belts, and red-and-black horse blankets."[18] It reflects her interest in a casual life style and simple Western-style cuisine.[4] She wrote The Hamptons: Food, Family and History,[3][20] which was well received by Publishers Weekly.[3] Lauren wrote and illustrated "Safari" with her photographs from a 1983 trip to Africa. The proceeds of the leather-and canvas-bound book go to the World Wildlife Fund.[10] She also wrote the book My Island in 1994.[21]

Personal life

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Ricky and Ralph Lauren have three children, Andrew, David, and Dylan.[22][a] The Laurens lived in Southampton, New York,[25] in a converted barn during the beginning of their marriage.[26] They spent summers in Long Island.[25] They had two houses in Amagansett, from which Ralph commuted into New York City, and then a house in East Hampton.[26] She currently resides in New York City; Montauk, New York; Jamaica; and on the family owned Double RL Ranch beneath the San Juan Mountains outside Telluride, Colorado,[10][7] that they bought in 1982.[18]

Lauren studied photography after she was married.[6]

Notes

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  1. ^ She ensured that they had chores and helped her with activities like meal preparation and grocery shopping, to ensure that they had a down-to-earth lifestyle.[15] Andrew (born 1969) is a film producer and actor.[23] David (born 1971) is Executive Vice President of Global Advertising, Marketing, and Communications at Ralph Lauren Corporation. In September 2011, he married Lauren Bush, the granddaughter of former President George H. W. Bush.[22] Dylan (born 1974) is owner of Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City. In June 2011, she married hedge fund manager, Paul Arrouet.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b Tschorn, Adam. "Ralph Lauren: 5 things you should know about HBO's new designer documentary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "American Icon Ralph Lauren and His Family". Oprah Show. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History". Publishers Weekly. April 16, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Lisa Cregan (March 18, 2007). "Ricky Lauren's 10 Favorite Things". Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  5. ^ "Ralph Lauren - Personal Life". Classic Magazine: Persian Lifestyle Magazine. Classic Art Group. November 2014. p. 145.
  6. ^ a b "Ricky Lauren". Ralph Lauren. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Ralph Lauren's Colorado Ranch". Architectural Digest. August 31, 2002. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  8. ^ Michael Gross (April 20, 2004). Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren. Harper Collins. p. 93. ISBN 9780060199043. Retrieved March 13, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ Bloom, Nate (13 September 2011). "Interfaith Celebrities: Fall TV Preview, The Emmys and the Laure". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d e "The Polo Persona : Fashion: For Ricky Lauren, epitome of the Ralph Lauren look, now is the time to pursue personal projects--including a new book". Los Angeles Times. 1990-05-30. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Donald Morrison (November 17, 2014). "The Enduring Icon: Ralph Lauren". Port Magazine. No. 14. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  12. ^ Liz Smith (October 7, 1977). "Ms. Fontanne on the Town 'Every Night: City lights". Valley News. Van Nuys, California. p. 77 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Janet Silvera (February 19, 2002). "Lavish Affair at the annual Round Hill Carnival". Kingston Gleaner. Kingston, Jamaica. p. 33. Retrieved December 17, 2016 – via NewspaperARCHIVE.
  14. ^ Mattern 2013, p. 72.
  15. ^ a b "Ricky Lauren: Natural Beauty". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  16. ^ Mattern 2013, p. 40.
  17. ^ "The Launch of Ricky Lauren's New Book". Vogue. 23 May 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  18. ^ a b c Penelope Green (December 7, 2006). "Getaways for Stay-at-Homes". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  19. ^ Cuisine, Lifestyle, and Legend of the Double RL Ranch. Melcher Media, Inc. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59591-075-2.
  20. ^ The Hamptons: Food, Family and History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2012. ISBN 978-1-118-29327-0.
  21. ^ My Island. Random House, Incorporated. 1994. ISBN 978-0-679-43711-6.
  22. ^ a b Christopher Ross (September 30, 2015). "A Day in the Life of David Lauren". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  23. ^ Irina Aleksander (April 30, 2008). "Andrew Lauren, Son of Ralph, Worships Redford, Beatty, Welles". New York Observer. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  24. ^ "Dylan Lauren and Paul Arrouet". The New York Times. June 10, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  25. ^ a b Ricky Lee (June 17, 2012). "Ricky Lauren, wife of designer Ralph Lauren, reveals beloved family recipes in 'The Hamptons'". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  26. ^ a b "Ricky Lauren likes a lived-in look for her Hamptons homes". Newsday. Associated Press. May 25, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

Further reading

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