American fashion icon, designer Ralph Lauren has deepened his commitment to cancer research by funding a center in London and it came about because of his friendship with the late Princess Diana, who was president of The Royal Marsden Hospital.
The new Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden in Chelsea, spanning 6,383 sq. ft hospital floor, was officially commemorated May 17 with his wife Ricky and the Duke of Cambridge Prince William (president of The Royal Marsden since 2007) at the unveiling. The £3.9million gift to The Royal Marsden a hospital founded in 1851 and the first facility in the world dedicated exclusively to cancer treatment, is Ralph Lauren’s first single, substantial cancer-related donation to an institution outside the U.S.
Mr. Lauren co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer in 1989 and then launched the “Pink Pony Fund for Cancer Care and Prevention” in 2000. “I’m not a philanthropist, it’s more about having a soul. I care about what I’m doing emotionally, but then when you see the results you think you’re not doing enough,” said Ralph Lauren on Tuesday “I have a daughter and a wife and it’s a family situation. The mother might have it, the sister might have it, but…the family goes through it, it involves everybody.”
Speaking with London’s The Telegraph he said “Having known Princess Diana and how much she cared about the important research pioneered by The Royal Marsden, I am uniquely honoured to partner with her son HRH The Duke of Cambridge and see that work carried on and supported with his great dedication and the opening of our Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research.”
Prince William and Ralph Lauren meet breast cancer patient Kathryn England.
During an exclusive interview with WWD he talked about what made him get involved with cancer research as well as philanthropy “I started with breast cancer because of a personal reason, because of a friend, Nina Hyde, who was an editor. All of a sudden, a friend has it and it touches you, it touches your whole family, so you get involved and you think ‘I can do more,’” said the designer. “It’s not about telling the world everything you’re doing, it’s about setting the tone for people to think, ‘Hey, I can do that, too,’” he added
Lauren, who first met Prince William two years ago when the project was first announced, said he was happy to spend time with the young royal. It certainly brought back memories: Twenty years ago, it was Princess Diana who handed Lauren the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research’s first Humanitarian Award in the U.S.
In a speech on Tuesday after visiting the center, William said: “Seeing the courage and spirit of the patients I met today, it would be hard not to feel positive about the work being done here, and the real difference it makes. A difference which I know extends beyond the four walls of this hospital, to cancer patients across the U.K. and internationally.”
Professor Mitch Dowsett, head of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research, said the new center would draw upon newer technology and advances that allow “more rapid and in-depth molecular analysis of our patients’ disease.” Cally Palmer, chief executive officer of The Royal Marsden, said the new center sets “a benchmark” for global cancer research.
The Marsden, which works closely with Britain’s Institute of Cancer Research, an academic facility, treats more than 50,000 cancer patients annually and the situation had become untenable. The new center, which cost 3.9 million pounds, or $5.60 million, was built with funds from Lauren and from the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which works exclusively with the hospital. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women.
The brand’s 50th anniversary is next year, he said in his interview with WWD, the biggest challenge is “understanding that the business has to change and redeveloping it as the world gets more modern. I’m always rethinking how to update, how to keep it pertinent and relevant. That’s the project that I have. I never thought that fashion was only for clothes. It’s in food, in lifestyle, in home. If you know what you’re doing and understand what your voice is, there are new ways of expanding your business. You have to be able to feel the pulse of the world, to be able to design ahead. Technology has made a big difference, but taste and style are ever-changing and you have to have confidence in what you want to stand for,” he said.
images via: WWD, Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
