Ralph Lauren "Was Incredibly Nervous" About Making the HBO Documentary 'Very Ralph'
At long last, fashion designer Ralph Lauren is getting the documentary he deserves—or, in HBO's words, his "first documentary portrait." Viewers will see how Lauren self-started his all-American business empire, and eventually became a patron saint American style, expanding his reach from the runway into home decor and beyond. Here's what we know about the soon-to-air Very Ralph.
The documentary follows Lauren's life, starting with his childhood in the Bronx.
Lauren, born to Jewish immigrants from Belarus, spent his early years in the Bronx. He'd go on to start a scrappy, hand-stitched tie business, which would grow into the Ralph Lauren empire we know today. According to the film, Lauren was the first fashion designer to create a true "lifestyle" brand, creating a tied-in home collection and dedicated stores for the label.
The fashion designer had his hesitations about going forward with the project.
Director Susan Lacy (Spielberg, Jane Fonda in Five Acts) told WWD that Lauren had mixed feelings about participating in the documentary. "I think he’d been thinking about this for a long time, and as it got closer to the 50th anniversary, I think it got more real that he did want something of a legacy piece," she said. "When it came right down to it, I think he was incredibly nervous about it, and I’m sure there were times along the way that he wished he hadn’t said yes."
It reveals some juicy details about Lauren's life.
The notoriously private designer opens up in the film, offering entertaining anecdotes, like the fact that he's often omitted from guest lists. Per WWD, Lauren says that he often sees all the cars parked in front, and realizes that he hasn't received an invite. (Although he probably wouldn't want to go anyway, he admits that it'd be nice to have the option.)
The documentary also explains that it was Lauren's brother Jerry, not Ralph himself, who decided to change his name from Lifshitz to Lauren. Jerry then asked if his siblings would like to do the same. "It was a tough name to live with," Jerry says in the movie. "I never wanted to escape my origins."
Everyone and their mother has been interviewed for it.
In a testament to Lauren's wide-ranging influence, high-profile figures from Hollywood, the political world, and the fashion scene are all featured in the documentary. Here's the full (lengthy) list from HBO: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, André Leon Talley, Hillary Clinton, Robin Givhan, Jason Wu, Naomi Campbell, Martha Stewart, Calvin Klein, Tyson Beckford, Tina Brown, Diane von Furstenberg, Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Friedman, and Paul Goldberger.
It premieres tonight.
Very Ralph is slated to air on November 12 at 9 p.m. ET—so Lauren devotees only have hours to wait.
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