Preppy

Preppy style has quickly infiltrated American fashion over the past decade. With shows like Gossip Girl, The Real Housewives, and NYC Prep ushering in a new era of retro classical style, celebrities are picking it up as well. Notable personalities such as Kanye West, Fonzworth Bentley, and Andre Benjamin are incorporating aspects of preppy styles into their own wardrobes and also their fashion lines.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren was born October 14, 1939 and is an American Fashion designer and business executive; best-known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.

In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the COTY Award for his menswear line. Around that same time he released a line of women's suits that were tailored in a classic men's style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women's suit. Ralph Lauren released Polo's famous short sleeve mesh shirt with the Polo logo in 1972. It came out in 24 colors and soon became a classic.

He also gained recognition for his design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby. 

On June 11, 1997, Polo Ralph Lauren became a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RL.

By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in the United States. There were 23 locations that carried Ralph Lauren Purple Label, including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Wisconsin Avenue, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Manhesset, New York, Palm Beach, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Short Hills and Troy.

 Ralph Lauren - Preppy Chic Look

Jim Jordan 

Jim has been a top celebrity, fashion and advertising photographer for years because of his open and dynamic photography.  Jims work, like his personality, is warm and vibrant. Malibu is a place where the world seems open, the sky wide and the ocean blue.  Its the perfect place for Jim Jordan to be.  

His dynamic client list includes J.Crew, American Express, Vogue, and BMW. He has captured moments with stars like Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicholas Cage, Robert Redford and close friend Charlize Theron.

Jim always knew that beauty and fashion was his future.  As a teenager, he left surfing in Southern California and bought himself a ticket for Milan, dreaming of doing hair and make-up for fashion magazines and great photographers. He stepped off the plane into a foreign world, but with his drive and talent, soon found himself working on photo shoots around the globe.

Vera Wang - Preppy Princess Fragrance

Derrick Watkins

Derrick Watkins was born 13 February 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley, is a musician and author. 

 

In 2004, he had a part on the music video of Kayne West's "The New Workout Plan".

Bentley has appeared in several music videos, such as Usher's "Yeah", P.Diddy's "D.I.D.D.Y." and "I Need A Girl (Part Two)", Slum Village's "Selfish", OutKast's "The Way You Move" and "Roses",as well as UGK and Outkast's "International Player's Anthem".

In August 2006, Bentley was featured in Sprite's Sublymonal campaign.

He was also featured, playing the voilin in the "Yes We Can" music video in support of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.