The beginnings of RRL (pronounced ‘Double RL’) are somewhat enigmatic, but it is generally believed that the brand formed after Ralph Lauren (the man) purchased a ranch in Colorado in the late 1980s.

Nestled in over 15,000 acres of land, the ranch was bought as an escape, but its rural locale soon inspired Lauren to explore the worlds of Western workwear and vintage Americana.

In 1993, Ralph Lauren decided to create a completely separate brand to market his Americana-inspired clothing and thus, RRL was born. But this re-branding came with a new concept. With the untamed American countryside of his idyllic Colorado ranch as his stimulus, Ralph Lauren looked to the workwear worn by the gold rush miners and ranch hands of the mid-to-late 1800s as well as the military garb of the American Civil War and World Wars, to inspire his new label.

As a result, RRL encapsulated the heritage of the American West. Leather boots and jackets, Navajo-print blankets, and of course, blue denim – raw and distressed – were just some of the key elements of the RRL world.

Twenty-five years after its conception, RRL is still operating today, with brick-and-mortar stores across the United States, Japan, and London, as well as a fleet of selected boutique stockists.

It is said that Ralph Lauren himself has a hand in selecting stockists and in the design of the RRL stores, each of which praised for its unique perks and curation of carefully selected vintage articles that sit harmoniously with RRL products.