I'm honored and I think the relationship with Ralph Lauren brand has been so long because it goes beyond the face or the guy. I don't feel that I'm a model at all, because I'm not. I'm a professional polo player that endorses a clothing company.
I love Polo. I have a lot of Ralph Lauren suits. I got Dolce, I got a little bit of everything. And my favorite thing about Ralph Lauren is that he puts the number three on a lot of his clothes, so I feel like it's meant for me.
There are many guys out there who look like me - you know, brunettes with long hair. There are thousands. But I think the difference is that I am a real polo player, who does endorsements for Ralph Lauren on the side, and I've always looked at it that way.
From working with Ralph Lauren, I started to understand what it meant to build a brand. There were times when I was working there that it seemed so repetitive. At the time, I didn't understand what was happening. But when I stepped out of it, I realized what he was doing was achieving a signature look and reiterating that. That's why when you think about a polo shirt you think about Ralph - he owns that garment.
There are a few entrepreneurs whom I look up to. My dad, Ralph Lauren, has definitely evolved into a lifestyle brand of clothing and home furnishings.
The year was 1996, Guy Mariano and I had no clothing sponsors, and at that point in our lives we had purchased enough Polo, Hilfiger and Nautica gear to think, hey, maybe we should start a clothing company.
I've done so many funny jobs. I worked at a farmer's market through high school. I worked in the stock room of Ralph Lauren. I graduated to salesperson at Ralph Lauren, which was a big deal to me. I've been a P.A. I've been a stand-in. I've been an assistant's assistant.
I think that my relationship with Ralph Lauren has given me a lot of recognition; the photo is everywhere. You open a magazine and there's a photo of me in a fragrance ad. I think that brought me recognition and made me be able to talk more about the sport of polo. I think it has done a lot of great things for the sport.
In Botswana in the Kalahari Desert there's a tented camp called Jack's Camp, which is like old Africa meets Ralph Lauren. The Oriental rugs, the old leather chairs - you feel like you've just jumped out of a Ralph Lauren ad.
Ralph Lauren and Valentino have a lot of common. Ralph Lauren was one of the first really to put himself at the center of the story, and Valentino was even earlier.
I like how Ralph Lauren creates a mystical world through his clothing.
I went to my boss, and I said, 'Look, I'd like to design these ties because I think they could be new.' He said, 'The world isn't ready for Ralph Lauren.' I never forgot that because... I thought that was a compliment.
I definitely have a strong connection with Ralph Lauren because I've made so many friends there. But I love being an actor - and I think that's what I want to be.
I am beyond excited about my partnership with Gap Factory stores because they provide affordable, on-trend, high quality fashion for people of all ages. I have been a fan of the brand ever since I was a kid and have been wearing it ever since. The Gap brand is iconic like apple pie and I am honored to be a party of the family.
My symbol was always a polo player because I liked sports, and polo has a stylishness to it.
People are like, "Why are you all dressed up? Did you dress up just for me?" I'm like "No, I dressed up because I'm an adult and I felt like putting on my suit." But I love it. Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren are my two heroes of clothing designers.
I knew that I wanted to intern at 'Teen Vogue' from the moment the first issue hit newsstands. Luckily, the team at Polo Ralph Lauren, where I interned during high school, really believed in me and arranged for an interview with the editors.