Ralph Lauren to Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Today marks an important day in American fashion history: Ralph Lauren is set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. The meaningful ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., where the veteran designer will be presented with the nation’s highest civilian honor, meant to acknowledge his work in business and as a philanthropist. Lauren is the first fashion designer to ever receive the honor.
“America is my country—my home and its history, traditions and values have always been an inspiration,” he shared in a statement. “To receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom conferred personally by the President of the United States is an honor of a lifetime. As a proud American citizen, I accept it with gratitude and great humility.”
Lauren’s story began in the Bronx, where he worked on a range of men’s ties he first sold from a drawer at the Empire State Building. He has gone on to produce clothing lines for men and women with global appeal and a massive financial impact. And the Biden family happens to be fans of his clothes. The Washington Post reports that the President wore one of Lauren’s suits to the 2021 inauguration. First Lady Jill Biden wore a periwinkle Ralph Lauren skirt suit to the coronation of King Charles III in 2023, and their granddaughter, Naomi, wore a Ralph Lauren dress for her wedding at the White House in 2022.
Lauren has been awarded numerous other distinctions—he received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, and an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the first American designer to receive that distinction as well.
As a philanthropist, the designer’s Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has focused on the fight against cancer, working to reduce disparities in cancer care in underserved communities worldwide.
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