Ralph Lauren Is Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom
There’s no name more synonymous with American fashion than Ralph Lauren. Since he established his company more than half a century ago, Lauren has proved himself time and again to be a masterful world-builder. His gift isn’t just making great clothes—though he does do that—but creating an entire set of ideas, expectations, and fantasies around them. What we think of as the modern “lifestyle brand” exists because the man born Ralph Lifshitz decided to start selling men’s neckties in 1967. And what we see in the fashion landscape today would be very different if he weren’t around.
Esquire is far from the only outlet to recognize this. Ask any fashion editor and they’ll tell you Ralph is singular—a force of personality that verges on a force of nature. Even world governments have gotten the message. Thanks to his massive contributions to fashion not only in America but around the world, Lauren is a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur of France and an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). On his home shores, he’s been lauded by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) again and again. But now he’s about to receive a new honor, and it’s a long time coming.
On January 4, 2025, Ralph Lauren will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. The award is the nation’s highest civilian honor. Lauren will join past honorees including Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Dylan, and Mother Teresa, among the many other artistic luminaries and civil-rights leaders.
“I’m thrilled that such a paragon of American style is being honored in this way and not just for his undoubted achievements in the fashion world,” says Esquire creative director Nick Sullivan. “Because it’s also a cultural recognition of his unending love for the American dream, expressed in multiple ways in clothing and lifestyle. More than any other American designer, over decades, Ralph has kept that in a corner of our minds and given us something we can all believe in. For that we should all be very grateful.”
Only time will tell if another member of the American fashion community will receive an honor like this. But you only need to ask anyone who’s ever sported a Polo pony or a Purple Label tux to know that Ralph Lauren is more than deserving.
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