‘it’s emotional’ Says ralph lauren on hbo’s very ralph

NEW YORK: American designer Ralph Lauren considers himself a private person, so giving cameras access to his life and fashion empire for the upcoming HBO documentary ‘Very Ralph’ was occasionally challenging.

“Sometimes, if I paid attention to it, it was difficult,” Lauren said in an interview with Reuters. “But I tried to ignore it.”

The documentary, which chronicles Lauren’s life from his childhood days in the Bronx to opening standalone stores worldwide, made its debut at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Wednesday, attended by a who’s who in the worlds of fashion and entertainment. Lauren,

80, said former HBO Chief

Executive Richard Plepler presented the idea of a documentary at dinner one evening, saying he was a big fan of the designer. He began to consider the proposition because at the time, Ralph Lauren Corp was approaching a big milestone.

“It was my 50th anniversary.” said Lauren, whose children also encouraged him to move forward with the project. “If I’m going to do something, I might as well do it now.”

Produced and directed by Susan Lacy, the documentary features archival footage from the fashion brand as well as interviews with Lauren’s family and the likes of Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and Naomi Campbell.

It also includes home videos that show a playful Lauren, dancing and playing basketball with his kids.

When asked what their reaction was when they saw the completed film, Lauren and Lacy both said they cried.

“I choked up a little bit,” Lauren said. “It’s emotional to see your children when they’re little, (and then) see them growing up.”