Ralph Lauren: Obstructionist

(Image via Forbes)



As the date of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts exhibit of Ralph Lauren's cars approaches, the fashion designer, nee Ralph Lifshitz, is firmly in the drivers seat, being quite the little control freak. Page Six broke the story of Ralph's obstructionist ways, and it has snowballed from there. According to British Vogue:

"RALPH LAUREN still hasn't forgiven Michael Gross for the unauthorized biography that was published two years ago. According to PAGESIX.COM, the designer insisted that all Gross' work be removed from the bookstore in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts before he allows it to stage an exhibition featuring some of his most prized possessions."

The Boston Globe: (2nd item):

"An item in Vogue alleges Lauren is so upset about Gross's unauthorized bio 'Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren' that he demanded it not be sold at the MFA during 'Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection,' which opens March 6. Not so, says MFA spokeswoman Dawn Griffin, who said the museum planned all along to sell a different and authorized biography, Colin McDowell 's 'Ralph Lauren: The Man, the Vision, the Style.'"

And, a week later also in The Boston Globe (3rd item):

"Yes, Ralph Lauren despises unauthorized biographies. But no, the designer did not forbid the Museum of Fine Arts from stocking Michael Gross 's bio during the museum's show of his collectible cars. At least that's what the fashion mogul said when reached at his home in Jamaica. 'That question has never, ever come up,' said Lauren, asked if his peeps, as reported in the New York Post and elsewhere, demanded the book be kept off the MFA's shelves. Lauren did add: 'Any unauthorized biography is as good as nothing.'"

Finally, we give the last word to our pal, Michael Gross, who emails:

"The book the MFA is selling, by Colin McDowell, was delayed more than a year and then published the same day mine was. Supposedly a coincidence. Though it was full of imagery owned by Polo -- and I heard Polo controlled it-- Ralphie's foot soldiers kept making the astonishing claim that it was also unauthorized and Ralph had nothing to do with it!!

"So I guess that like a tweed jacket or challis skirt, the passage of time has made it better than nothing!!"

Ralphie Lifshitz, have you no shame?