19 April 2010

Ralph Lauren has joined the Fash-ristocracy!

Ralph and Ricky Lauren with Carine Roitfeld

Congratulations Mr Lauren! On your brand new Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur! [equivalent to our knighthood] French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented the septuagenarian designer with the medal at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Thursday.

It seems that is quite de riguer for designers to be garlanded with honours at the moment. Ralph is in good be-titled company with the likes of Marc Jacobs, Nathalie Rykiel (creative director and daughter of Sonia Rykiel) and most recently in London –Luella Bartley. Grazia Daily has already started worrying about who to bow and curtesy to at the next fashion party we go to . . .

Mr Lauren later celebrated with a black tie dinner at his own restaurant. Yep yep yep – instead of celebrating his new status in France with predictable old champagne and fois gras – he was able to chomp into an authentic hamburger in his own restaurant. As part of his new, and newly renovated 13,000 square feet Paris store, a restaurant called Ralph’s will be serving up the finest American cuisine with beef imported specially from Ralph’s own ranch.

Grazia’s Style Director Paula Reed has just returned from Paris after being granted a rare interview with the great man, so we can’t wait to read all about it in next week’s Grazia!