As the iconic brand celebrates 40 years of Ralph Lauren Home with a new book, its influence has never been more clear. The best proof of this? Many of today’s most celebrated interior designers are alums of “the University of Ralph”, as several of them lovingly call it. We talked to DLN Members who worked in various roles at Ralph Lauren about its influence on their careers—and the design world at large.
A bar design by Joy Moyler
What was the biggest lesson you took from your time at Ralph Lauren?
Joy: I learned to fully immerse myself in every possible creative opportunity around me, from rigging mannequins to working with the windows team; to not limit myself to my immediate responsibilities; that everything you do and touch is a learning experience, and everyone around you is bringing something wonderful to that experience.
Mark: The value of working with a strong team and giving people the room to learn and grow — as well as fail.
Noz: The power of conceiving of and implementing a full, complete experience when it comes to brand and lifestyle. From the store architecture and decor to the merchandise and how we were trained to fold and display everything, to the way we were taught to dress while on the floor as associates — mixing and matching RL current season apparel with past seasons and more affordable retail — to the iconic scents of each department. To this day, I use those lessons as I think about my own brand.
Michael: Accountability and determination — and never accepting no for an answer. I tracked down an FAA official at home on a weekend to get an airport opened to land a plane of furniture from South America to make a showroom deadline.
A sitting area by Noz Nozawa
How does your Ralph Lauren training most show up in your current work?
Joy: I refer to the RL Experience as “Ralph Lauren University.” I came with a wealth of interiors and architectural knowledge and experience, having already had a hand in product and retail design. Designing retail spaces and showrooms at RL truly taught me the importance of “lifestyle creation:” the value of a sensory experience, and holding the shopper in your hand from the moment they hit the threshold. RL taught me the power of visual imagery and lifestyle branding. “If you see it, you can live it:” This ethos remains the thread of all my projects today.
Michael: Attention to detail. Our clients appreciate the comprehensive way we design their homes, and consider and incorporate all their creature comforts.
Mark: My time at RL emphasized the importance of constantly looking at things with a fresh eye and staying curious. Working on so many different projects there helped me realize that having a point of view or brand doesn’t mean you are committed to staying in one lane, and that’s a freedom I am grateful to feel in my practice now. I’ll add that my experience in retail and merchandising at RL has certainly influenced the way I buy for and style projects now.
Noz: My training on attention to detail (specifically, that every single detail counts but they are not all meant to be perfect) shows up all the time. I think often about the style of bowtie we were taught to tie back when I worked there (undersized asymmetrical knots). On the other hand, I think about the meticulously perfect way we were instructed to fold polo shirts and cashmere sweaters — using crisp sheets of printer paper to ensure each sweater felt lofty and bouncy. That dichotomy of perfect and deliberately imperfect is everything.
Mark Cunningham’s Bellport home
What is it that has made Ralph Lauren’s style so timeless?
Michael: Aspiration. The company created the“lifestyle that defined what success looked and lived like for the last five decades.
Mark: In my opinion, the brand has become the icon it is because its narrative — and Ralph’s distinct vision for it — hasn’t wavered from the start. But he’s been able to adapt, grow, and reinvent the narrative so that it’s always felt fresh.
Joy: RL is a legendary, iconic brand because it changes while holding true to what it was from day one. In short, it’s always been relevant! The brand expresses itself through classical fashion, furnishings, and accessories infused with the past and present. It doesn’t follow trends. There is always something relatable and sentimental: You always remember that first Polo shirt! Most importantly, Ralph Lauren is never trying to be someone else.
Read more of The Quarterly, Issue 2 stories here.