In the late 1980s, fashion industry legend Ralph Lauren was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Shortly after the removal of the tumor, his close friend Nina Hyde was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that later took her life.
In the quarter century since then, Ralph Lauren has been dedicated to the fight against the deadly disease.
Recognized for his early leadership in the fight, Lauren made a personal and corporate commitment to finding a cure.
Yesterday he announced, in a rare and personal video, a new partnership with The Royal Marsden, one of Princess Diana’s favorite charities, the largest and most comprehensive cancer centre in Europe. The Ralph Lauren Corporation is to build them a state-of-the-art breast cancer research facility in Chelsea, London.
As a tribute to his friendship with Nina Hyde, The Washington Post’s fashion editor for 18 years, Ralph Lauren co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University in 1989.
“Breast Cancer is not just a women’s issue,” says Lauren. “It affects all of us – the husbands, fathers, brothers, children and friends of the women dealing with this dreaded disease.”
His Pink Pony campaign helped mobilize the fashion industry to take a stand against breast cancer. As part of the campaign in 2001, Lauren founded the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in Harlem, New York to provide healthcare to the medically under-served African-American population, which is at a much greater risk of dying of cancer.
This evening, May 13th, Lauren will attend a gala dinner at Windsor Castle, hosted by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, to celebrate the work of The Royal Marsden.