It’s safe to call 2018 a banner year for Ralph Lauren. The industry titan’s 50th anniversary kicked off with a special CFDA Members Salute at the CFDA Fashion Awards in June. That night at the Brooklyn Museum, designers Jeffrey Banks, Thom Browne, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, John Varvatos, Marcus Wainwright, Diane von Furstenberg, Alexander Wang, Vera Wang, and Jason Wu took to the stage to offer an emotional tribute full of love for the design legend.
The celebrations continued in September, when Lauren staged a beautiful fashion show and dinner by Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain—a reminder of why we love Ralph so much (not that we needed a reminder). It was attended by friends such as Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kanye West, Robert De Niro, and many more.
A little over a week later, Lauren headed to Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch. Then, there was the glamorous gala dinner at the Château de Versailles outside Paris in early December in his honor.
There’s more to look forward to in 2019. Queen Elizabeth II will honor Lauren with an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). Lauren is the first American fashion designer to receive this special honorary knighthood.
