拉尔夫•劳伦海外扩张

    有些经典永不过时，拉尔夫•劳伦（Ralph Lauren）的出色业绩就是明证。拉尔夫•劳伦2012财政年度实现销售额69亿美元，比竞争对手、Tommy Hilfiger品牌拥有者PVH Corp.高出10亿美元，是博柏利（Burberry）去年收入的两倍。这一预科生风格的服饰巨头是业内增长最稳定的公司之一，仅次于拥有North Face品牌的VF Corp.。去年，VF的销售额增长了23%；拉尔夫•劳伦增长了21%，而且过去15年中有14年都在增长。快速的国际扩张（包括在中国内地新开了几家高端门店以迎合奢侈品市场的需求），可能是将公司推上增长高速路的原因：摩根士丹利（Morgan Stanley）分析师们预计海外销售将给其增加25亿美元的收入。这家美国风格的服饰公司正在寻求建立全球市场领导地位，并同时保持高贵的品质，法宝有三。

好的理念

    拉尔夫•劳伦的董事长兼首席执行官拉尔夫•劳伦（出生时名字是拉尔夫•利夫希茨）是纽约市布朗克斯区一位移民油漆工的儿子，他一手塑造了理想的美国上层社会时尚典范，1967年时推出的一系列Polo品牌领带是他的成名作。他的风格背后有一个故事，它就是了不起的盖茨比。“拉夫率先践行了基于生活方式的品牌理念，”麦格理（Macquarie）分析师利兹•唐恩表示。今年夏天有报道称，（拉尔夫•劳伦赞助的）美国奥运代表团服装是中国制造时，美国奥林匹克委员会表示支持拉尔夫•劳伦。

不断的品牌细分

    拉尔夫•劳伦通过品牌细分迎合所有价位的消费者。最高端：紫标系列的双排扣羊毛开衫，售价3,000美元。最低端：Chaps品牌服饰和居家用品。一些品牌引发了近乎狂热的品牌热爱。这些被称为“Lo Head”的狂热追随者成百成百地搜集自上世纪80年代以来的Polo品牌和拉尔夫•劳伦服饰，包括领带、衬衫和夹克等。

精明的扩张

    过去十年，拉尔夫•劳伦加强了对品牌的海外市场控制，购回了在日本和韩国的品牌许可以及在中国的分销权。

世界最受赞赏公司排名：47

公司总部：纽约

员工数量：26,000

业务范围：设计、分销和出售服装、配饰和居家装饰，拥有Polo、Club Monaco、Chaps和Rugby等20多个品牌

    译者：早稻米

    There are some classics that never go out of style -- Ralph Lauren (RL) has the earnings to prove it. The $6.9 billion that it made in fiscal 2012 outstrips by $1 billion what competitors such as PVH Corp. (PVH) (which owns Tommy Hilfiger) hauled in and is twice what Burberry made last year. The preppy-apparel giant is one of the industry's most consistent performers, second only to the VF Corp. (VFC), which owns North Face, in steady growth. VF increased its revenue 23% last year; revenue at Ralph Lauren went up 21% -- and has grown in 14 of the past 15 years. Smart international expansion -- including opening several higher-end stores in China to court the luxury market -- may tee up the company for a growth spurt: Analysts at Morgan Stanley say it stands to add $2.5 billion to its revenue with overseas sales. Three ways the American fashion house is seeking global domination while keeping it classy.

A good yarn

    Chairman and CEO Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz), the Bronx-born son of an immigrant housepainter, has riffed on an idealized American upper crust, starting with a line of Polo-branded ties in 1967. His style has a story, and the story is Gatsbyesque. "Lauren pioneered the concept of lifestyle branding," says Liz Dunn, an analyst at Macquarie. The U.S. Olympic Committee stood by the company this summer following news that athletes' outfits had been made in China.

Endless labels

    The company ingratiates itself with consumers at every price point by slicing its image many ways. At the top: $3,000 double-breasted cardigan sweaters from the Purple Label. At the bottom: Chaps brand clothing and home goods. Some brands inspire cultish devotion. Enthusiasts called 'Lo Heads collect Polo and Ralph Lauren gear -- ties, shirts, and jackets by the hundreds -- from the 1980s.

Savvy expansion

    In the past decade Ralph Lauren gained more control of its brand positioning overseas, buying back licenses in Japan and South Korea and distribution rights in China.

World's Most Admired Rank:47

Headquarters:New York

Employees:26,000

The business:Designs, distributes, and sells apparel, home décor, and accessories through more than 20 brands -- including Polo, Club Monaco, Chaps, and Rugby.