I didn’t have a vision as in, This is where I’m going. I had a vision as in, “This is what I love to do.”

If you are anything like me, you have been obsessively tivo’ing and watching the final days of the Oprah show (ending today!). Over the my past few days’ viewing sessions I have laughed, I have cried and I have gotten inspired.

One of my favorite episodes was the visually and career inspiring interview with Ralph Lauren at his RRL Ranch outside of Telluride, CO. If you know me well, you know that I always love to say that someday I want to live on a ranch in the wild west and thus, Ralph and I are true kindred spirits. While watching I was mesmerized by the beauty of not only the land, but of course, of his totally RL decor, which reminded me of his (mostly Men’s) vintagey and rugged RRL line and stores. Clearly this ranch inspired the line. All Southwestern influenced and masculine.

a few photos of the incredible ranch (main living room, guests rooms in teepees and airstream trailers!) :

I loved getting to know Ralph and hear more about his life and inspiration in the interview. I am in awe of him – and its easy to see why: he turned a small tie business into a multi-billion dollar multi-channel lifestyle brand and single handedly invented a shirt that is a wardrobe staple is most men and many ladies closet – the polo shirt.

You know what’s going to touch people because it has touched you. – Ralph

What inspired me most was hearing about his creative process and approach to creating each season’s collection he sends down the runway (which I learned, really is all him). He said he can’t just create a piece out of nothing, rather he visualizes (and creates inspiration boards) of the girl who is wearing this said piece and what her entire lifestyle is like: where she lives, where she goes out, who her friends are, what inspired her. He literally creates an entire fantasy life for the girl who is wearing each piece.

Ralph says he didn’t become a designer because he loves fashion. For him, it’s about defining a lifestyle. “The clothes that I design and everything I’ve done is about life and how people live and how they want to live and how they dream they’ll live.”

This Ralph-pioneered lifestyle approach to creating clothing (and homegoods, etc) is what has made the RL brand so successful. He creates a mini world that we as consumers form as instant connection to. He sells us a fantasy life. Oh wait, you can’t afford a ranch for yourself in Colorado? Well buy this RRL shirt and you can partake a tiny bit in this life. Sign me up.

The Gospel of Ralph didn’t quite hit me until I started travelling to LA for work last Spring and visited his flagship stores. I have been a fan of his RRL line for a while and I love to visit the store on Melrose in LA – its in a gas station/mechanic shop. And then there is his beautiful signature line store in the Malibu Country Mart with a heavenly garden out back. The amazingness of Ralph kind of hit me when I entered these lifestyle stores. Ralph’s vision for the brand and the lifestyle he is trying to project comes through loud and clear down to every detail.  See my photos below:

What you do is beyond clothes—it’s about life. – Oprah, on Ralph

 Visiting these stores made me realize that Ralph has a gift in creation and he contributes something pretty unique (even to this day) and amazing to the fashion and retail industry. On top of it all, he is a true down to earth family man who loves riding his horses on a ranch in Colorado. He is the least fashion scene-y person ever, yet one of the most successful fashion people ever, and I love that.

It’s hard not to love him and be inspired by him, right?

Ralph’s only daughter, Dylan, is getting married next month and, of course, her father designed her gown. Watch this clip of him describing this opportunity.

I think I’m spiritual. In order to create, you have to be sensitive. Sinatra’s song “My Way” has become a cliché, but that’s always been my thing. What I’m most proud of in my life is that I went into this business on my own terms. I never threw myself away. I kept going in a straight line even when people said, “Give it up.”

 vintage Ralph and wife Ricky (the other ‘R’ in RRL)

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