As the family story goes, Ricky Ann Loew-Beer was reciting Chaucer from the passenger seat of a green Morgan on their first date when Ralph Lauren decided she was beguiling, beautiful and worth chasing. In 1964, she was an English student at Hunter College, earning extra money behind the desk of an ophthalmologist’s office. He was the young necktie salesman who arrived for an appointment and left with her phone number. Their first date involved a drive upstate, a pancake house and, according to legend, a proposal before the plates had been cleared. They married that December.
Ricky never confined herself to the ceremonial occupation of designer’s wife. The New York-born daughter of Austrian immigrants taught fifth grade in the Bronx, studied photography and trained as a psychotherapist while raising Andrew, David and Dylan Lauren. She also became an author, publishing Safari, based on photographs from a 1983 journey through Africa, followed by My Island, Cuisine, Lifestyle and Legend of the Double RL Ranch and The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History. Few muses have arrived with quite so much extracurricular competence.
Naturally, fashion made her recognizable without ever becoming her job. Ralph has written that the woman he wanted to dress was neither lacquered nor precious, but “the girl in jeans and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, wearing her boyfriend’s jacket.” Ricky supplied the prototype in real life. A 1990 Los Angeles Times profile christened her “The Polo Persona,” a useful name for the lean tailoring, washed denim, riding boots, white shirting and Western silver that became the house’s native tongue. Years later, Ralph Lauren gave her name to the Ricky bag, its stately hardware and saddle-leather construction turning private inspiration into a rather expensive public object.
The East End furnished that fantasy. Beginning in the early 1970s, the Laurens passed through a rented Southampton barn, Amagansett, East Hampton and finally Montauk, where the clothes acquired salt, dog hair and the occasional honest crease. That lived-in quality matters. Ralph Lauren sold America a beautifully appointed fiction, but Ricky made it look plausible. Across more than half a century of photographs, hemlines rise, shoulders broaden and eveningwear grows theatrical. Her method barely budges: one strong jacket, an open collar, something borrowed from a man and nothing worn as though it had taken all afternoon.
Ricky Lauren Style Evolution
Metropolitan Museum ‘Man and the Horse Gala’
Ricky and Ralph Lauren Sighting
American Foundation for AIDS Research Masquerade Ball
Woolmark Awards for Men’s Fashion
Kids for Kids Benefit for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care Reception
Dylan’s Candy Bar Relaunch Celebration
‘The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons’
New York City Ballet Fall Gala
‘Publication of The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History’
‘The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History’ Celebration
Ralph Lauren Fall 2013 Collection Dinner
Ralph Lauren Runway Finale, New York Fashion Week
An Evening with Bobby Short
Plaza Hotel, New York, May 1973
At a benefit at the Plaza, a barely-30 Ricky played the early-’70s siren in a plunging cross-halter top and slim tapered trousers, hoop earrings and a little beaded evening bag. Ralph matched her wattage in a velvet dinner jacket and a silver concho belt, an early flash of the Western hardware that would become a Ralph Lauren calling card.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attending a Bobby Short benefit concert at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Fairchild Archive/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images
Dinner for Martin Traub
Le Club, New York, 1977
At a dinner honoring Bloomingdale’s chairman Marvin Traub, she wore a cream peaked-lapel skirt suit with a long rope of pearls and a crocheted top-handle bag. The look echoes Ralph Lauren’s Fall 1977 eveningwear, while Traub’s presence closes the circle—he was the retailer who gave Polo its first in-store shop at Bloomingdale’s.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren at a dinner for Marvin Traub at Le Club in New York.
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
‘Broadway’s in Fashion’
Broadhurst Theatre, New York, October 1978
At the CFDA benefit for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Ricky wore a black velvet blazer over a white shirt and narrow knit tie, adding frontier bravado with dark corduroy trousers and elaborately stitched cowboy boots.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the ‘Broadway’s in Fashion’ show at the Broadhurst Theater in New York.
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
Metropolitan Museum ‘Man and the Horse Gala’
New York, December 1984
For the Costume Institute’s Man and the Horse gala, the equestrian exhibition underwritten by Ralph Lauren, Ricky arrived in a fur-collared coat cinched by an embellished belt and finished with long gloves. The proportions evoke Edwardian riding clothes, while the sweep of fur and jeweled waist place them squarely in 1980s New York.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren at a Metropolitan Museum Gala in New York City.
Rose Hartman/Getty Images
1987 CFDA Awards
Metropolitan Museum, January 1987
At the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards at the Met, Ricky wore a one-shouldered black gown with a softly draped bodice and a wrap folded over one arm. Beside Ralph in a tuxedo jacket, bow tie and jeans, her uninterrupted column of black provides the disciplined half of the pairing.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren attend the 1987 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
Valentine’s Day Art Show
Park Avenue Armory, New York, February 1989
For a night at the armory art show, Ricky went full Santa Fe in a Navajo-pattern blanket coat over a red western shirt, rolled jeans and a concho belt loaded with turquoise to match the cuffs stacked on her wrists. The coat and metalwork connect directly to the visual world Ralph had developed since his 1981 Santa Fe collection, while the rolled denim and open collar keep the look grounded.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren attend the Valentine’s Day Art Show in New York City.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
Ricky Lauren on ‘Safari’
New York, March 1990
Photographed at home for a WWD “Eye” feature on her photography book Safari, Ricky wears the look she more or less patented—a tweed herringbone sport coat thrown over a denim jacket over a pale work shirt, khaki trousers and a tangle of charm necklaces. The outfit is vintage Polo: this is the boyfriend’s-jacket-and-a-good-story ethos Ralph named the Polo Persona.
Portrait of Ricky Lauren for her photography book ‘Safari.’
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
Ricky and Ralph Lauren Sighting
Tavern on the Green, New York, April 1991
Arriving at Tavern on the Green, Ricky swapped her usual cool neutrals for a jolt of color—a hot-pink satin opera coat draped over a black column gown, worn with long black gloves and soft evening curls. The pink does all the talking, which is about as loud as she ever gets. It marks a rare turn toward Hollywood glamour from a woman who made her name on the opposite.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren at Tavern on The Green in New York.
Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty Images
American Foundation for AIDS Research Masquerade Ball
World Financial Center, New York, December 1991
At amfAR’s masquerade ball, Ricky dressed for command in a scarlet hussar-style jacket studded with brass, black palazzo trousers, bullion-embroidered cuffs and a satin cape cast over one shoulder. Her husband’s spare double-breasted tuxedo sharpens the effect as she answers the evening’s costume brief through military tailoring rather than a Venetian mask.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the American Foundation for AIDS Research Masquerade Ball at the World Financial Center in New York City.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
Woolmark Awards for Men’s Fashion
New York Public Library, New York, June 1992
Here, Ricky reversed the military idea in white, wearing a high-collared regimental jacket with gold braid, polished buttons and a medal over fluid wide-leg trousers. A red clutch breaks the uniform, while Ralph’s black tuxedo turns the pair into a study in crisp, almost heraldic contrast.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren at the Woolmark Awards For Men’s Fashion in New York City.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
Kids for Kids Benefit for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Industria Superstudio, New York, September 1994
For the Kids for Kids benefit, Ricky wore a long white tunic shirt with a studded suede vest, a slim black belt, leggings and wooden clogs. Beside Ralph in double denim and framed by hay bales and pumpkins, she could be stopping at an Amagansett pumpkin patch.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the Kids for Kids Benefit for Pediatric AIDS Foundation at Industria Superstudio in New York City.
Eric Weiss/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images
1998 CFDA Awards
Cipriani, New York, February 1998
Ricky turned the ivory dinner jacket into a setting for jewelry, wearing its satin peak lapels over a bare décolletage encircled by a broad pearl-and-crystal choker. Against Ralph’s black tuxedo, the look captures her method neatly: borrow the structure of menswear, then alter the terms.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the 1998 Council of Fashion Designers of America’s awards ceremony in New York.
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
2007 CFDA Awards
New York Public Library, New York 2007
At the ceremony where Oprah Winfrey presented Ralph with the American Fashion Legend Award, Ricky wore a strapless gold gown with an embroidered corset above a softly beaded skirt. The bronze clutch, bare neckline and loose hair temper all that gilt.
Ralph Lauren, Oprah Winfrey and Ricky Lauren attend the 2007 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City.
Rabbani And Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care Reception
Sotheby’s, New York, September 2007
At Sotheby’s, Ricky wore a fitted patchwork-denim jacket with a matching knee-length skirt and pointed navy pumps. The fabric belongs to quilts and workwear, but the articulated seams, nipped waist and narrow heel pull it decisively uptown.
Ricky Lauren, Ralph Lauren and Jerry Lauren at the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Cocktail Reception in New York City.
Jemal Countess/WireImage/Getty Images
Dylan’s Candy Bar Relaunch Celebration
New York, October 2008
At the relaunch of the candy emporium founded by her daughter, Dylan, Ricky dressed for the family business in a scarf-print silk blouse saturated with pink, yellow and cobalt, anchored by an oversized black bow, narrow trousers and knee-high boots. The real pleasure was seeing a woman so closely associated with her husband’s world step, for one night, into her daughter’s Technicolor one.
Ricky Lauren attends the relaunch celebration at Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York City.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty Images
2009 CFDA Fashion Awards
Alice Tully Hall, New York, June 2009
Ricky framed a white ruffled shirt and white trousers with a navy military jacket dense with gold embroidery, then added a sculpted belt, metallic clutch and glittering espadrille platforms. The jacket revisits the regimental looks she wore in 1991 and 1992, this time translated from formal uniform into summer eveningwear.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the 2009 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City.
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images
‘The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons’
Guild Hall, East Hampton, August 2009
At Guild Hall’s gala for The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons, Ricky paired a white ruffled blouse with slim, painterly floral trousers and a narrow chain-strap bag. The loose hair and pale ground suit the East End setting, while the printed trousers introduce color without competing with the blouse’s volume.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren attend a party for “The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons” exhibition in New York.
Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images
New York City Ballet Fall Gala
Lincoln Center, New York, September 2011
At the ballet’s fall gala, Ricky wore an emerald satin wrap gown gathered at the waist with a slender black belt, adding turquoise drop earrings and a compact black clutch. The diagonal neckline and fluid skirt supply movement, while the absence of a necklace leaves the broad V uninterrupted.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the New York City Ballet’s fall 2011 gala at Lincoln Center in New York.
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
An Evening with Ralph Lauren
Lincoln Center, New York, October 2011
For the Oprah Winfrey-hosted evening celebrating Ralph, Ricky chose a sleeveless black satin gown with a sculptural standing collar and folded volume gathered behind one hip. Severe and almost aerodynamic from the front, the silhouette saves its flourish for the turn.
Ricky Lauren, Ralph Lauren and Oprah Winfrey attend an evening with Ralph Lauren in New York City.
Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Ralph Lauren
‘Publication of The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History’
Ralph Lauren Women’s Boutique, New York, May 2012
At the launch of her Hamptons book, Ricky wore a pearl-gray Ralph Lauren three-piece suit with wide-leg trousers, a white club-collar shirt, liquid-silver tie and metallic sandals. The waistcoat and tie make a fitting author portrait for the woman who taught the house how menswear could sit on a female body.
Ricky Lauren attends the Ralph Lauren celebration for the publication of “The Hamptons: Food, Family and History” in New York City.
Mark Von Holden/Getty Images
‘The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History’ Celebration
East Hampton, August 2012
Celebrating her Hamptons book and magazine cover, Ricky wore a white cotton shirtdress with a tiered eyelet skirt, cinched by a broad concho belt and finished with a silver cuff, shoulder-skimming earrings and lace-up espadrille wedges. Prairie lace and ranch hardware may make unlikely neighbors, yet on Ricky, they share a property line.
Ricky Lauren and Samantha Yanks attend the Hamptons Magazine Celebration in East Hampton, New York.
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Fall 2013 Collection Dinner
École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, October 2013
At the Paris dinner marking Ralph Lauren’s patronage of the École des Beaux-Arts restoration, Ricky paired a fitted black turtleneck with a ruched taffeta fishtail skirt, wide studded belt and long gold earrings. The Fall 2013 collection drew on imperial Russia; Ricky reduces the theme to two decisive gestures, volume below the waist and metal at it.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren at a Ralph Lauren Collection Show in Paris, France.
Michel Dufour/WireImage/Getty Images
2018 CFDA Fashion Awards
New York, 2018
Celebrating Ralph Lauren’s 50th-anniversary year, Ricky wore a black tailcoat with a high white shirt, narrow tie, engraved belt and pooling trousers. Ralph paired his tuxedo jacket with faded jeans and neon Salomon trail shoes, while Ricky stayed with black and white, pushing borrowed menswear to its most formal conclusion.
Ralph Lauren and Ricky Lauren attend the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Spring 2025 Show
Khalily Stables, Bridgehampton, September 2024
In a front-row lineup that placed Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston and USher under the same equestrian tent, Ricky wore a white blazer and slim trousers with fringed side seams, a pale shirt and taupe ankle boots. Beside Dylan in tiered patchwork denim and a heavy concho belt, mother and daughter divided the house vocabulary between them: Ricky took the tailoring, Dylan took the West.
Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston, Ricky Ann Lauren, Dylan Lauren and Usher at Ralph Lauren RTW Spring 2025 in East Hampton, New York.
Lexie Moreland/WWD/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Show
New York, April 2025
Outside the Fall 2025 show, Ricky wore Ralph Lauren head to toe: a salt-and-pepper jacket, white ruffled blouse, slim gray trousers, silver belt and tonal heeled boots. The engraved buckle and ruffled placket reprise details visible as far back as her 1970s appearances, while the close chromatic dressing keeps them current.
Ricky Lauren attends the 2025 Ralph Lauren Show in New York City.
Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Runway Finale, New York Fashion Week
New York, 2026
Taking the Fall 2026 finale beside Ralph, Ricky wore a long black blazer cinched with an engraved silver buckle over a high-necked white ruffled blouse, opaque leggings and pointed ankle boots. The final bow brings the retrospective back to its starting point: a man’s jacket, white shirt, narrow black lower half and one piece of Western silver.
Ricky Lauren and Ralph Lauren at the runway finale for the Ralph Lauren fashion show in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
