VUE

R alph Lauren is not a fashion designer – he's an architect of a lifestyle. That's the genius of his brand, one that he figured out a long time ago. More than a brand, he created this atmosphere of luxurious lifestyle and the ability for you to develop your own feeling of luxury through his diverse brands, from Ralph Lauren Home, RL Watches, Purple Label for men, Blue Label for women, and more. Something happens when you wear a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, that polo player mid swing on your chest. I call it the "power of the pony." No matter who you are or where you're from, you feel like you're part of the most prestigious country club in the world. I've taken what I've seen, what I've learned, where I've been, and who I've met over the years and transformed these experiences into an opinion on lifestyle. Breaking down the term "lifestyle," from my perspective, life is our everyday existence, it's our habitation on this earth as living, breathing organisms, while style is the way we choose to live it. Style is our expression through forms such as fashion, art, music, design, and architecture. It's your interpretation of our culture, unique to each individual. Whatever your chosen lifestyle, how luxury is experienced is unique to you. My goal is to inspire men and women not to concentrate on the "what," but more so on the "why" we do the things we love. It's not about what we do or what we own, but why we do the things we do and why we own certain possessions. It's that intrinsic level of gratification we feel when we do these things that are most important to us. For me, luxury is waking up on a Sunday, putting on a jazz record, drinking my coffee, and reading the New York Times — I am a king in that moment. It's something so simple, yet it's an important ritual for me, one that I look forward to every Sunday. Those acts, and many others, when put together, define my lifestyle. When you put lifestyle in that perspective, it influences you to do things in your life that can or will lead to a happy and fulfilling life. Chris Collins is a Men's Lifestyle Expert and tastemaker living in NYC. He also creates content for his lifestyle journal called the 'Chris Collins Report'. POINT OF FA L L | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 56

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