Ralph Lauren (b. October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer and business executive; best-known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.

Ralph Lauren was born as Ralph Rueben Lifshitz in The Bronx, New York to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Belarus: Fraydl (Kotlar) and Frank Lifshitz, a house painter. From a young age he started working after school to earn money to buy suits.

Ralph Lifshitz attended the Salanter Academy Jewish Day School followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957. In MTA Lauren was known by his classmates for selling ties to his fellow students. In his Clinton yearbook he stated under his picture that he wanted to be a millionaire. At the age of 16, Ralph's brother Jerry changed their last name from Lifshitz to Lauren (although Ralph's brother Lenny retained the name Lifshitz). In the summertime Ralph Lifshitz attended Camp Roosevelt (Monticello)