Ralph Lauren will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
The award — the nation’s highest civilian honor — recognizes Lauren’s extraordinary contributions as a visionary fashion designer, trailblazing entrepreneur, innovative business leader, and dedicated philanthropist. More from WWD Lauren is the first fashion designer to receive this distinction — a historic acknowledgment of his transformative influence on American culture and society. Established in 1963 by President John F.
Kennedy, the Presidential Medal of Freedom honors individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the U.S., world peace, or other significant endeavors.
Over the years, the medal has been awarded to a diverse range of influential figures across disciplines, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan, Maya Angelou, Mother Teresa, Bill and Melinda Gates, Robert DeNiro, and Frank Gehry, and more recently, Billie Jean King, Michelle Yeoh, Michael Bloomberg, and Simone Biles.
In addition to Lauren, the other 18 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom are José Andrés, Bono, Ashton Baldwin Carter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michael J. Fox, Tim Gill, Jane Goodall, Fannie Lou Hamer (posthumous), Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Robert Francis Kennedy (posthumous), Lionel Messi, William Sanford Nye, George W. Romney (posthumous), David M.
Ru.
