Description:
A fascinating and comprehensive look into the life of American fashion legend Ralph Lauren, now with a new afterword
There are at least two Ralph Laurens.
To the public he's a gentle and modest, yet secure and purposeful man. Inside the walls of Polo Ralph Lauren, though, he was long seen by some as a narcissist, an insecure ditherer, and, at times, a rampaging tyrant.
Michael Gross, author of the bestsellers Model, 740 Park, and House of Outrageous Fortune, lays bare the truths of this fashion emperor's rise, and reveals not only the secrets of his meteoric success in marketing our shared fantasies, but also the unknown personality behind the designer's chic façade.
Brief description:
Michael Gross is the New York Times bestselling author of Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women; 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building; and House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World's Most Powerful Address. He is the editor-at-large of Palmer: The Palm Beach Reader, and has written for publications around the world, including the New York Times, New York, GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Air Mail and The Daily Beast. He lives in New York City
(mgross.com)
Review Quotes:
"Hack(s) through the hype and half-truths... A work of impressive reporting... Mr. Gross tells an engaging story." - Cathy Horan, New York Times
"Shamelessly dishy... delightfully attuned to irony, and Lauren's life story is full of it." - Washington Post
"Gross' research is impressive." - People
"Gross delivers a portrait of a man who's constructed a flawless image, but whose real self is far more fascinating and deeply human." - Publishers Weekly
"Catty...dishy...jammed with detail." - New York Times Book Review
"Impressive...engaging." - Cathy Horyn, The New York Times
"A dishy (think scandalous affairs and control-freakish tantrums) yet balanced portrait of a man who started out as a tie salesman and went on to head a billion-dollar fashion empire." - Entertainment Weekly
"Highly readable--and honorable." - New York Newsday
"Explodes the myths." - Denver Post
"Thorough...fascinating." - Detroit Free Press
"Controversial." - Fashion Wire Daily
"Compelling...Juicy stuff." - Toronto Star
"Sizzling." - The Star