Ricky Lauren

Ricky Ann Lauren (née Loew-Beer), born on June 15, 1943, is an American author, artist, photographer, and psychotherapist. She is married to fashion designer Ralph Lauren.

Early Life

Ricky Lauren was born as Ricky Ann Loew-Beer and was raised in New York City. Her parents were Austrian immigrants, Margaret Vytouch and Rudolph Loew-Beer. She is of mixed religious heritage, with her father being Jewish and her mother Catholic. She pursued higher education at Hunter College, where she studied as an English major.

Career and Personal Life

In her early years, Lauren worked part-time at an eye doctor's office, where she met her future husband, Ralph Lauren. She also taught fifth grade and engaged in dance performances in The Bronx. On December 20, 1964, Ricky Lauren married Ralph Lauren in New York City.

As Ralph Lauren's career developed, she played a supportive role, often attending fashion industry events and charity functions alongside him. The New York Times has described her as a "silent partner." The couple established a cancer center affiliated with North General Hospital in Harlem in 2000 and founded the Ralph and Ricky Lauren Center for the Performing Arts at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City.

Lauren has been recognized as the "Polo Persona," serving as a model for the Polo brand's advertising campaigns. Ralph Lauren has identified her as his muse; in his memoir, he describes her as a woman in jeans and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, which influenced his fashion designs. Her frustrations with finding suitable clothing for her slim, petite frame contributed to his interest in designing women’s apparel.

After her children reached school age, Lauren returned to college, earning a degree and working professionally as a psychotherapist.

Authorship and Artistic Work

Ricky Lauren is an author, artist, and photographer known for her lifestyle and cookbooks. Her notable works include "Cuisine, Lifestyle, and Legend of the Double RL Ranch," which is a tribute to the ranch near Telluride that inspired Ralph Lauren's fashion empire. The book includes history and recipes reflective of Western-style cuisine and casual living.

She authored "The Hamptons: Food, Family and History," which received positive reviews from Publishers Weekly. Additionally, she wrote and illustrated "Safari," featuring photographs from a 1983 trip to Africa, with proceeds donated to the World Wildlife Fund. In 1994, she published "My Island."

Residences

The Laurens initially lived in a converted barn in Southampton, New York, and spent summers in Long Island. They owned multiple houses in Amagansett, from which Ralph commuted to New York City, and a residence in East Hampton. Currently, Ricky Lauren resides in New York City, Montauk, Jamaica, and maintains a family-owned property called the Double RL Ranch beneath the San Juan Mountains outside Telluride, Colorado, which they purchased in 1982.

Education in Photography

Following her marriage, Lauren pursued studies in photography, expanding her artistic pursuits into visual arts.

Family

Ricky and Ralph Lauren have three children: Andrew, David, and Dylan.