( InStyle ) -- It all boils down to this . It does n't really matter all that much what hot , nubile French maverick has set the fashion world on fire . Or which Milanese visionary has a new fabric technique discovered during a life-changing trip to Angkor Wat that 's sure to bring back sixties minimalism with a twist . Or that so-and-so has signed a deal to develop boutique spa hotels around the globe in former monasteries . Because , in the end , he 's Ralph Lauren , and we 're not . Ralph Lauren has his eye on China and Japan . For four decades no other designer has had a greater impact , not only on the way American men and women dress but also on the way they imagine , seek and indulge in the Good Life , than the former tie salesman from the Bronx . `` Those ties were handmade , by the way , '' recalls Lauren . `` Back then , ties , even designer ones , did n't sell for more than $ 5 apiece . Mine were $ 12 to $ 15 . Such luxury in something so simple was revolutionary . '' And ironic . Because while no other designer logo exemplifies aspiration in the home of the free and the brave like the mallet-wielding guy on the pony , Lauren originally named his company Polo because `` it was the sport of kings . It was glamorous , sexy and international . '' See his designs » . In the beginning a few people questioned if it was named after Marco Polo -- but today the fact that virtually none of Lauren 's millions of devoted customers has ever even seen a polo match is immaterial . Lauren instinctively caught something that was in the air before any of his competitors had a chance to grab it -- the desire , not just to be a success but to look like one before you 'd even achieved your goal . What 's more , Lauren made it look as easy as Fred Astaire dancing down a staircase . `` What matters the most to me are clothes that are consistent and accessible , '' says the designer . `` When I look at the people I 've admired over the years , the ultimate stars , like Frank Sinatra , Cary Grant and Astaire , the ones who last the longest are the ones whose style has a consistency , whose naturalness is part of their excitement . And when you think of the blur of all the brands that are out there , the ones you believe in and the ones you remember , like Chanel and Armani , are the ones that stand for something . Fashion is about establishing an image that consumers can adapt to their own individuality . And it 's an image that can change , that can evolve . It does n't reinvent itself every two years . '' However , with a media that is insatiable for the new , the now and the next , being steadfast does n't always make for good copy . `` The spotlight is always going to search for the newcomer , '' Lauren admits . `` And that 's fine . But the key to longevity is to keep doing what you do better than anyone else . We work real hard at that . It 's about getting your message out to the consumer . It 's about getting their trust , but also getting them excited , again and again . My clothes -- the clothes we make for the runway -- are n't concepts . They go into stores . Our stores . Thankfully , we have lots of them , '' says Lauren . `` What I rely on is people walking into my store saying , ' I want your clothes . ' '' Well , if all of Lauren 's customers shouted that together , he would go deaf faster than he could pull on one of his classic pullovers . Lauren 's effortless luxury is all over the red carpet , on ski slopes and boats , at Wimbledon and elsewhere . It furnishes living rooms and graces dinner tables . It 's on the bed , in the bed and under the bed -- and now sits on coffee tables , thanks to the tome Ralph Lauren ( Rizzoli ) , celebrating his 40-years-and-growing career . But far from giving his customary over-the-head wave and riding off into his Colorado-ranch sunset , the designer is going even more global . `` Americans have a real inferiority about their own style . We 've brought sportswear to the world , and yet we have a long way to go . '' Already in Milan , London , Paris and Moscow , Lauren has more stores planned for China , Japan ... oh , everywhere . `` There are n't enough Americans out there , '' he says . Who better to start with than Ralph ? Just as long as he does n't let on that most of us still ca n't play a lick of polo . E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Ralph Lauren began as a salesman from the Bronx . First goal : Wide , when others were narrow . Has dominated high fashion for two decades . Goal : Glamorous style that is ` ` consistent and accessible ''