American designers Ralph Lauren (1939–) and Calvin Klein (1942–) both started their designing careers throughout the late 1960s, but it was from the 1980s that they became vogue superstars. At a period when designer style has been identified with eccentric outfits modeled in Paris fashion run-ways, both Lauren and Klein created designer Tall Men’s Clothing for ordinary individuals.
Lauren was born Ralph Lifschitz in Brooklyn, New York. Fascinated with fashion from an early age, he dropped out of school and apprenticed at the fashion sector by working at different clothing companies. In 1967 he got work at Beau Brummel, designing the wide neckties in vivid colors for which he would first become famous. From 1968 he launched his own line of men’s clothing, which he called Polo.
Together with the title Polo Shirts, Lauren said much about his design philosophy. The game of polo was associated with wealthy Europeans, also Lauren’s designs originated out of classic European traditions. Frequently known as”preppy English tweed” style, or”American country” style, Lauren’s early designs, which comprised many different casual and semiformal wear, have been upgraded versions of basic layouts, sewn in antique materials, including wool tweed and corduroy.
Besides his clothes, Lauren made other contributions to the fashion world. He licensed his designs (sold the right to manufacture them) into a range of clothing companies provided that the garments bore his name, and he also branched out into many distinct regions of design. Following the success of the men’s clothing line, Lauren introduced a line of women’s clothes, followed by cosmetics, perfumes, bath towels, bed sheets, and even house paint, with the unmistakable Lauren caliber of traditional elegance. Though many have accused Lauren of being unoriginal and dull, many women and men locate his designs to be comfortable and reliable.
Calvin Klein was also born in Brooklyn. As a boy his interest in fashion directed him to teach himself to sew and sketch layouts. He attended New York’s High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology and, by 1968, he had established Calvin Klein Limited, his own line of clothing. Klein’s designs were characterized by simple lines and subdued colors sewn in elegant, luxurious fabrics, like lace, silk, and cashmere.Though Klein made many distinct products, he’s famous for his lines of panties, blue jeans, and fragrances, for example Obsession and Eternity. Among Klein’s significant innovations in the fashion industry was his usage of sexuality in advertising. Though many people were horrified and shocked by his own use of sexual imagery, Klein became the first, and possibly the most expert, in using sex to sell basic clothing like blue jeans at high rates.
