FYI:
“Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in The Bronx, New York, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, from Pinsk, Belarus:[2] Fraydl (Kotlar) and Frank Lifshitz, a house painter.[3]
From a young age he started working after school to earn money to buy suits.
Ralph attended the Salanter Academy Jewish Day School followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.[4][5] In MTA Lauren was known by his classmates for selling ties to his fellow students. In a moment of spontaneity, when asked what he wanted to do in[6] his Clinton yearbook he stated under his picture that he wanted to be a millionaire.[7] During the summer, Ralph attended Camp Roosevelt (Monticello).[8]
At the age of 16, Ralph’s brother Jerry (who was his guardian) changed their last name to Lauren to avoid the unfortunate obscenity reference Lifshitz has in English (although Ralph’s brother Lenny retained the name). Apparently Ralph was teased about it in school.[9] [10]
He went to the Baruch School of Business and Civic Administration of the City College of New York (now known as Baruch College) where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years. From 1962 to 1964 he served in the United States Army.[citation needed] On December 20, 1964, he married Ricky Anne Low-Beer in New York City. The two met six months earlier, in an eye doctor’s office where Ricky was working as a receptionist.[11] He did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman. In 1967, with the financial backing of Norman Hilton, Lauren opened a necktie store where he also sold ties of his own design, under the label “Polo.”[12] He later purchased the name from Hilton.”