NEW YORK, Mar 28, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) announced that Olin Lancaster has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Sales for Polo Brands. In this new position, Mr. Lancaster will be responsible for sales, retail development and customer service for Polo brands, including Polo by Ralph Lauren, Polo Sport and Polo Golf by Ralph Lauren for men and women. In addition, he will further develop Polo's retail partnerships with department stores, specialty stores and country clubs. Mr. Lancaster reports to Joy Herfel, President, Polo Brands, and will be based in New York.

Mr. Lancaster rejoins Polo Ralph Lauren, after serving as President of Kenneth Cole Menswear for the past two years. While at Kenneth Cole his responsibilities included direct oversight of sales, p & l, marketing and merchandising for the menswear division. Prior to joining Kenneth Cole, Mr. Lancaster held positions with Polo Ralph Lauren's retail and corporate sales divisions and its boy's licensee. He originally joined the company in 1988 as a store manager and was later appointed Director of Corporate Sales for Ralph Lauren Home. In 1996 Mr. Lancaster became Vice President of Sales and Marketing, USA for Polo Ralph Lauren Boys Company, a division of Oxford Industries. In this role, his responsibilities included all aspects of sales, merchandise planning, store development, budgeting and p&l management.

"I am very pleased that Olin has joined the Polo Brands team. He's uniquely qualified for the position due to his extensive background in sales, merchandising and retail development. I'm confident that this wealth of experience will be a great asset to the company, " said Joy Herfel.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 30 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include "Polo," "Polo by Ralph Lauren," "Polo Sport," "Ralph Lauren," "RALPH," "Lauren," "Polo Jeans Co.," "Chaps," and "Club Monaco" among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands.

SOURCE Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation

CONTACT: Ellen Maguire, Public Relations of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, +1-212-318-7115 (RL)