I have adored and shopped at Ralph Lauren for years; I even worked for Polo Ralph Lauren. However, I believe this beloved American brand Ralph Lauren should return to its roots by appealing to its original target market of "Ivy Leaguers, athletes, influential businessmen and ladies of leisure."
The company's old-money brand was put on shelves of outlet malls in 2017. Challenging their American roots, Ralph Lauren attempted to make their brand and lifestyle available to all by creating sixteen diffusion lines; diffusion lines have existed for decades. They are "a secondary line by a well-known designer", for example, Marc by Marc Jacobs; D&G by Dolce & Gabbana; Y's by Yohji Yamamoto; and Versus by Versace (Apparel Search). Ralph Lauren has Chaps, Denim & Supply, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Country, Polo Golf, Polo Jeans Co., Polo by Ralph Lauren, Polo Sport, Polo University Club, Polo Western Wear, Ralph by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Rugby, Ralph Lauren, RLX, and RRL.
The development of their diffusion lines led the RL consumer to buy more pieces from the cheaper lines than splurging on an expensive piece.
While I love the affordability of the diffusion lines, I believe that when a company grows to cover too many areas of fashion, it cannot succeed. Like in life, if you spread yourself too thin, you cannot thrive. You can choose to be mediocre in many areas or perfect in a few. I hope Ralph Lauren can rebrand its focus on a couple of diffusion lines in 2022.
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