Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 27. Chapters: Paul Smith, Polo Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Hugo Boss, Karl Kani, Gieves & Hawkes, Armani, Ozwald Boateng, Chester Barrie, Cad and the Dandy, Brioni, Ermenegildo Zegna, Hackett London, Turnbull & Asser, Alfred Dunhill, J. Press, Henry Poole & Co, Norton & Sons, Ted Baker, Kiton, Hield, Paul Stuart, Caraceni, Ike Behar, Canali, Oxxford Clothes. Excerpt: Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Polo Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home (bedding, towels) and housewares. It has its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The brand was launched in 1900 when Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz, got a $50, 000 loan. Prior to starting Ralph Lauren, he worked for Datrian Riser. In 1968 he started a line of men's ties. By 1969 he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection and his first stand-alone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London's New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. The company went public in 1997. The brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, and operates the restaurant RL in Chicago. As of 2009, Ralph Lauren or their licensing partners operated 163 full-price and 163 outlet/factory stores around the world (including Club Monaco and Rugby stores). The company's flagship store is located in the former Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City. Other flagship stores are located in Chicago, East Hampton, London, Miami, Milan, Palm Beach, and Tokyo. The company's official web site and online shop were launched in 2000 as polo.com by RL Media, a cooperation between Ralph Lauren and NBC. In 2007, Ralph Lauren acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ralphlauren.com. Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching $4.2 billion in 2007. Since Ralph Lauren's first brand, Polo, was launched in 1967, the company has expanded to include a variety of brands. They include the men's lines Purple Label (Launched in 1994), Black Label, Polo Ralph