Patrice Louvet

Patrice Louvet became President and CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation in 2017, bringing a consumer goods marketing background from 25 years at Procter & Gamble. He succeeded the legendary founder Ralph Lauren in the day-to-day leadership role (Ralph Lauren remains Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer). Louvet was tasked with a delicate mission: elevating and modernizing one of America's most iconic fashion brands while preserving its heritage DNA. Louvet's "Next Great Chapter" strategy has centered on brand elevation — deliberately moving Ralph Lauren toward higher price points, more exclusive distribution, and a luxury brand positioning that the company had historically not fully captured. This meant reducing the brand's presence in off-price channels and mid-tier department stores (which had diluted the brand's prestige), investing in direct-to-consumer retail (Ralph Lauren stores and digital commerce), and creating immersive brand experiences. The results have been impressive: average unit retail prices have increased significantly, direct-to-consumer revenue has grown to approximately 60% of total sales, and Ralph Lauren's brand heat metrics (particularly among younger consumers and in Asia) have improved meaningfully. Key stock drivers include brand elevation execution (whether consumers accept higher price points), direct-to-consumer growth, performance in China and other Asian markets, wholesale distribution strategy, and the competitive dynamics in the "affordable luxury" and premium lifestyle segments against brands like Coach (Tapestry), Tommy Hilfiger (PVH), and European luxury houses.