When the team at Ralph Lauren asked me to make a few remarks at a ceremony unveiling a new collection of stamps curated by the designer himself, I couldn't say yes fast enough. So I found myself in the magnificent James A. Farley building of the U.S. Postal Service on a beautiful, temperate Tuesday morning, along with Ralph's family, colleagues, postal service employees, and admirers.
Ralph is 86 and slowing down a bit, but it was wonderful to be in his presence. I was decked out head to toe in one of his beautiful suits — navy, striped shirt, stylish brown sandals — and I felt like a million bucks.
I thought you'd like to read the remarks that followed the unveiling of the stamps, including the ones made by Frank Bennack, former CEO of Hearst and Ralph Lauren board member, whose reminiscences about his father moved me so much.
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of a New York Knicks loss at Madison Square Garden could keep me from being here today. I am deeply honored to say a few words as we celebrate this beautiful collection of Ralph Lauren curated stamps in honor of this nation's 250th birthday. The word "icon" gets thrown around an awful lot these days, but when you look this word up in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Ralph. I guess it's a sign of the times that the first definition is "a graphic symbol on a display screen that represents an app, object, or function." But if we're talking about Ralph, it's "a person or thing widely admired, especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere." And for Ralph Lauren, that sphere is American life.
Ralph is the embodiment of the American Dream. Brilliant. Creative. Innovative.