Ralph J. Lauren was born in the New York City borough of The Bronx to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Fraydl and Frank Lifshitz, his father was a house painter.
From a very young age, he started working after school to earn money to buy stylish, expensive suits with an early preference for quality over quantity. His attire soon gave him a trendy reputation among his peers. The well-known Calvin Klein, a younger contemporary also lived in the same Bronx neighbourhood. Source

The Armani signature label is the most expensive Armani label and is available in its 75 worldwide boutiques. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Incredibly well staffed with some of the friendliest, most enthusiastic, and helpful people you've ever had the pleasure working with. This place is an absolute pleasure to visit, and amazingly well stocked, too! If you're doggedly searching for that one special piece, but can't seem to sniff it out at any other locations, you'll be delighted to know that this store has nearly every fashion American Eagle currently has in stock! You could lose yourself for hours in Manhattan just by just taking a leisurely browse. Everything is so beautifully arranged, so you won't have worry to about your eyes tiring of pleasant sights. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the vast selection of clothes in the Woman's section, any of the cheerful employees would be more than happy to help you pick out the perfect outfit, no matter the occasion. Whether it is the perfect top to compliment your figure, or a beautiful dress to wear to a party, they'll help. If you ever happen to be in NYC, do yourself a huge favor and stop by here. You will always find just what you're looking for in Spring and Summer 2012.

Stella McCartney operates 3 flagship stores, in Manhattan‘s Meatpacking District, London‘s Mayfair and LA‘s West Hollywood. Her collections are now distributed in over 40 countries through 300 wholesale accounts including specialty shops and better department stores.Stella McCartney has ventured outside the world of fashion through several collaborations with artists including Gary Hume in 2002, David Remfry in 2002, Robert Crumb in 2005, and with Jeff Koons on her spring/summer 2006 collection, using his prints on dresses and accessories.

Founded in 1963 with one women?s apparel store in Columbus, Ohio, Limited Brands is committed to building a family of the world?s best brands to create sustained growth of shareholder value by focusing its time, talent, and capital on the highest return opportunities. Historically, Limited Brands has been viewed as a multi-divisional, largely apparel-based, popular-priced retailer. Ten years ago, that was true. Lingerie, personal care and beauty made up less than 30% of its sales. Today?s reality is very different. Over the past ten years Limited brands has reinvented itself completely, becoming a predominantly a personal care, beauty and lingerie company, with over 70% of its sales coming from those areas, primarily through two great brands, Victoria?s Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Casual sophistication birthed out of traveling around the world, Custo and David Dalmau seized the psychedelic beach style of Southern California and created a lifestyle from their own bohemian Barcelona roots. Surfing in Spain was popular, but clothing was unremarkable until the advent of the two Spanish brothers to the global fashion scene. If you think you can just go online and shop for Spanish surf inspired clothing, you will be sadly mistaken. Custo and David sank their souls into the development of innovative graphics and color treatments that simply cannot be experienced virtually. Their Manhattan boutique is a simple journey to Greenwich Village, so if you were already planning on stepping out for a bite to eat, take a little more time and shop at their New York City store. The colors are divine – fuchsias, turquoise and magenta hues for women and graphite blues for men, casual chic is well represented in their full line of t-shirts, skirts, dresses, jackets, tops, and pants for men, women and kids. Wear the Custo Barcelona brand and you will be initiated into the lifestyle of sun, wind, water and long beaches of fun.

A store called the Banana Republic was opened in San Francisco in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Both the Zieglers worked for the San Franciso Chronicle, Mel was a writer and Patricia an illustrator.
Banana Republic specialized in casual Safari styles and Army Surplus clothing. Many of the utilitarian items had sturdy zips and snaps and were double-stitched and reinforced. The store sold desert army hats, sheepskin vests, shorts and other items of travel clothing to armchair travelers. The garments were designed by the Zieglers for people to wear when mountain hiking or rafting. Source

For nearly 50 years SYMS has been committed to giving Educated Consumers® real bargains on real designer clothes. SYMS is the Off-Price representative of over 200 authentic designer and brand names. Names You Must Know® in clothing and shoes, for men, women, and children. Offering an impressive selection of styles and sizes.

A French high-end retailer specializing in tailored men's and women's clothing. The company started humbly as a small custom tailor shop that Jean Goldberg opened in 1950 on Rue Paradis in Nice, France. By 1958 the small tailor shop was making custom tuxedos for Hollywood stars that were in the Cote d'Azur for the annual Cannes Film Festival. In 1961 Jean Goldberg's son, Albert, took over the shop and renamed it Façonnable, a variation of the word "Façonner," which means "to create." Under his watch the company expanded and in 1973 opens its first boutiques in Monte Carlo, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Lyon, and Marseilles, however it was not until 1984 that Façonnable opened an outlet in Paris.

For any young business woman, Akris, located in Manhattan right off of Madison Avenue, is a stylish new twist on business attire. They have business ensembles with clean lines, gorgeous knit wear and double closure jackets, plus bright jackets and dresses. This New York City fashion boutique has absolutely gorgeous apparel and is perfect for any woman in the business world. You've never seen such elegant clothing gathered into one store. The store is very clean and proper, organized perfectly. The employees are sweet and helpful, very smart and they add to the professional atmosphere of the store. Even if you aren't a business woman, it is a great store for any classy party or gathering you may be going to. Swiss designer Albert Kriemler, designs for the woman’s personality to eclipse her apparel. The styles are mature and elegant representing perhaps the newest trends that will be touching down Spring-Summer 2012. If you feel the need to dress classy, with the small pop of color, and look more professional and smart, look no further. You'll look and feel very business-like and yet for those after hour affairs, you will certainly turn heads.

Fashion on the Avenue of The Americas is best viewed the Old Navy way, a New York City clothing store that expresses the true value of the United States. With its Flagship in Manhattan and over 1000 stores nationwide, Old Navy focuses on the price minded fashion family while promoting a more wholesome and pure fashion clothing line with innovative differences. The Tech Vest, Flip Flops, and the Performance Fleece are all specialty items marketed by Old Navy giving them an advantage in unique fashion shopping that is also practical. In addition to clothing, Old Navy also sells a variety of accessories such as shoes, handbags, toys, hats, and sunglasses, along with a line of clothing and toys for dogs which puts it on a whole new level of shopping from many of its contemporaries. As a subsidiary of Gap Inc, Old Navy continues to strive for the principles that placed the parent company on the map with fantastic fashion, impeccable service and a knack for happy customers. Old Navy is a Manhattan clothing store rich in culture and should definitely be a part of any shopper’s itinerary when they are in the city.

Nine West or 9 West is a subdivision of Jones Apparel Group. Nine West is a women's fashion retailer/wholesaler with offices in sixty countries. There are chains of stores from Hawaii to Maine. It was co-founded by Jack Fisher. The footwear offices are located in White Plains, NY.
Distribution of all Nine West Goods in the United States is processed through 2 large warehouses both located in West Deptford, NJ. Source

The Missoni boutique, located in Manhattan off of Madison Avenue, is a rather popular store, garnering plenty of attention with their vivid colors and unmistakable prints. Shocking blue dresses with strong brown compliments, bright yellows gently calmed with clean whites, even their most creative combinations seem to blend and contrast to create a gorgeous color pallet on their selections. The Summer 2012 collection is a perfect example of the uniqueness of the store. The brilliantly sophisticated collection is a massive favorite amongst the women of New York, as they rush to buy the dresses. For those interested in a little something for those summer getaways or parties, Missoni has an impressive swim suit collection that doesn't skip out on the fabulous summer fun color choices. The quality of the clothing is superb, all that we have come to expect in the best Italian designers. This vastly unique store is well put together, clean and alive with happy, helpful employees. The location is grand, in the middle of so many other top fashion houses, but still standing out amongst the crowd. A truly unique shopping experience that will keep you coming back again and again for more.

After 20 years in the surf, skate and snowboard business, founder Chip Wilson took the first commercial yoga class offered in Vancouver and found the result exhilarating. The post yoga feeling was so close to surfing and snowboarding that it seemed obvious that yoga was an ideology whose time had come (again).

Established in 1960 by legendary fashion icon Valentino Garavani, the Maison has grown over the years and now operates in more than 70 different countries counting over 1250 points of sale, 66 of which are directly managed.

Oscar de la Renta opened its first international stores in Athens and Madrid, and has continued its expansion with the opening of Dubai in 2009. The company plans to open a boutique in Moscow in 2010.

Returning after a season's maternity leave, Phoebe sent out a collection with crisp new shapes, proportions and vigour. A line dresses and stiffer couture fabrics were used with flares from the shoulder, and swinging skirts with models on great chunky platform shoes. Sixties ruffled skirts (so popular this season) were intricately worked in crunchy embroidery, organza applique and frills. Lots of new accessories like handbags were seen this season. Source

Being touted as a “Manhattan Flagship in the Works,” New York City clothing store Celine is quickly becoming one of the biggest players in the fashion world. Celine fashion clothing store is a subsidiary of French multinational conglomerate LVMH and has been allowed to shine with LVMH’s inspired outlook on business and fashion. With its Manhattan fashion clothing store located on famous Madison Avenue, Celine captured the imagination by offering inspired dresses, jackets, luggage and blouses designed by the impeccable Michael Kors until 2004. Following the coming and going of several world renowned designers, Celine began featuring prestigious collections by Phoebe Philo. Philo, a fabulous designer who became famous for her work with Chloe, has re-invented the Celine line with her own unique styles and visionary guidance. As a result, Celine has jumped astronomically in editorial credit ranking, listing it with the top 10 in most major markets, according to the label’s CEO Marco Gobbetti, and continues to make a cultural impact. As a leader in Manhattan clothing retailers, a hot and trendy brand and an astounding shopping experience, look no further than an afternoon’s fashion shopping spree at Celine’s.

The House of Gucci, better known as simply Gucci, is an Italian French-owned iconic fashion and leather goods label. It was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1906. Gucci is considered one of the most famous, prestigious, and easily recognizable fashion brands in the world.
Gucci generated over US$7 billion worldwide of revenue in 2006 according to BusinessWeek magazine and was ranked 46th in the magazine's annual chart "Top 100 Brands". For this reason Gucci is the second biggest selling fashion brand after LVMH. Most importantly Gucci is the biggest selling Italian brand in the world. Gucci operates about 425 stores worldwide and it wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores. Source

Fabulous furs is how this Paris Fashion, J. Mendel, name became known worldwide. Totally Parisian chic and elegance is the rebranding that has occurred with heir apparent, Gilles Mendel delving into the silks and wools that he is becoming famed for. Legendary application of design techniques with fur – effervescence and shimmering are not usual adjectives applied to fur, Gilles has broadened his father’s empire into a full line of fashions, available at his boutique on Rue St. Honore in Paris, and in his New York City atelier, Manhattan of course. Exclusive is his middle name, with boutiques only in New York, London, Paris, Moscow and the elite neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Maryland. White and Black are perennial favorites, but this Spring and Summer 2012 collection has blossomed into joyful yellows and hot tangerines, turning everyone’s head walking down Madison Ave. Relatively new to the scene, start watching red carpet fashions as celebrities and gorgeous actresses discover his flowing, tastefully revealing and sensual gowns. It is easy to see why Gilles has extended into a full line of women’s clothing. His love of the female form is evident in his artistic creations.

A high-end high street clothing retailer with more than 69 stores in North America. It is owned by Polo Ralph Lauren. An international men’s and women’s lifestyle brand with a distinctly urban casual point of view, best defined as a play of opposites: mining vintage with new, hard with soft and eclecticism with minimalism. Each season, Club Monaco offers customers must have fashion and key pieces that together are the foundation of a modern wardrobe.