You may have heard of famous fashion designer Ralph Lauren. If you haven’t, he is most famous for making gorgeous American flag-themed outfits for the US Presidents and other top leaders. Well, it seems that during the second half of the twentieth century, he also had a very unique style for the opposite sex. In fact, it was so unique that he dubbed it “Republican Luxury.” Here are some of the most stunning ladies who sported this unique style.
Annabel Karim Kassar
While browsing through old issues of Vogue, one of my favourite style icons caught my attention. It was none other than the gorgeous Annabel Karim Kassar. Born in Beirut in 1921, she moved to Paris at the age of 16 with her family. Shortly after, she began working for Vogue in a French translation department. Here, she learned the trade and began to style some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. It was in Paris that she met and began dating Ralph Lauren. After the two married in 1944, they moved to New York City where they built a close-knit family. In 1960 they moved back to Paris and began working on a fashion house, which they called “Kassar”.
Claire McCaw
Another style icon that became a bit of a legend is Claire McCaw. If you’ve never heard of her, it’s probably because she didn’t do a lot of interviews or appear on red carpets. That was until 2011 when she shockingly died at the age of 92. Throughout her life, Claire had passions for art, fashion, and interior decoration. And she used to say that having a fashion house was her ultimate goal. In the 1930s, she moved to London to study fashion design. She then began working for renowned fashion houses such as Bauhanon and Bill Blass. In the 1950s she began designing her own dresses, which she would sell at her boutique on London’s Bond Street. She went on to establish her own fashion house in the 1960s.
Although she didn’t officially begin designing for Ralph Lauren until the 1970s, they were actually married in 1945 when she was 21 and he was 35. During that time, they collaborated on several collections and she even designed a few dresses for the American fashion house. After their divorce in the ‘70s, she didn’t work for RL for another three decades. However, she remained close with the brand and was even quoted as saying that she had a “bond” with the house. Sadly, in later years, she became quite ill and had to undergo hip replacement surgery. Nevertheless, until the end, she maintained her incredible style, turning the heads of even the most iconic of fashion designers.
Coco Chanel
Another style icon who was close to Ralph Lauren was none other than legendary French designer Coco Chanel. While in Paris in the early 1920s she designed several iconic pieces that changed the way people viewed fashion. One of her most unique pieces was a cocktail dress that she designed in 1923. However, it wasn’t until the 1930s that she began working for Ralph Lauren. During that time, she designed several iconic pieces of clothing, such as “The Little Black Dress” and the “Jacket à Croche” which was inspired by the French fashion house’s crocodile pattern. She also went on to design many pieces for American fashion house, including a full women’s collection. She worked for Ralph Lauren until her death in 1974. She was 92 at the time.
Luce Battista
Another style icon who didn’t quite fit into the previous category is Luce Battista. If you’ve never heard of her, it may be because she only did a handful of interviews during her lifetime. Nevertheless, since her death in 1985 at the age of 62, she’s become somewhat of a legend. Her fashion house, Luce Battista, began in the 1950s and was named after her. It was originally based in Milan, Italy, but she expanded the brand to London, Paris, and other major fashion cities. She was most famous for her colorful, feminine, and stylish ensembles, which drew inspiration from both traditional and modern styles.
Marjorie Merriweather Post
Another style icon who didn’t quite fit into the previous category is Marjorie Merriweather Post, the wife of publisher, senator, and civic leader Harold Ross. However, since her death in 1994 at the age of 96, she’s become somewhat of a legend as well. Her fashion style was unique in that it mixed high fashion with traditional English country living. Here are some of her amazing outfits.
Mona Ray
Not all of the style icons mentioned above worked for Ralph Lauren. One of the most stunning women to have sported “Republican Luxury” is Mona Ray. If you’ve never heard of her, it’s probably because she only done a handful of interviews during her lifetime. Nevertheless, since her death in 1981 at the age of 33, she’s become somewhat of a legend. Her fashion house, “Mona Ray,” which she established in Rome in the 1950s, was named after her. It was there that she met and began dating Italian fashion designer, Valentino. The two went on to collaborate on several projects, most notably the 1968 wedding dress of Princess Margaret. It was also at this time that she began experimenting with different finishes and materials for her dresses. In the 1960s she moved to New York City, where she continued designing and making dresses for Valentino. She remained in the US until her death in 1981. While in New York City, she also taught an evening dress class at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Margaret Taylor
Another woman who didn’t quite fit into the previous category is Margaret Taylor. If you’ve never heard of her, it may be because she only turned up in a handful of scenes in films and on television. Nevertheless, since her death in 1958 at the age of 49, she’s become something of a legend. Her fashion label, “Margaret Taylor,” began in the 1910s and was named after her. It was established in London and Paris, but Taylor spent a lot of her time in Paris designing clothes for British Vogue and other major fashion houses. In the 1930s she returned to London and continued designing. During this time she also became a regular contributor to British Vogue. The designer lived in London until her death in 1958. In later years she became quite ill and had to undergo surgery to correct a problem with her hip. She never completely recovered and had to have regular check-ups and X-rays to ensure that she stayed healthy enough to continue her work. Despite this, she remained independent and continued to work through her illness until her death in 1958.
To round off this article, let’s end with some of Ralph Lauren’s own designs. In addition to designing for the Presidents, he also designed for other celebrities and royalty. And here are some of his amazing designs.