Ralph Lauren made his start in fashion selling neckties. Six decades later, the Bronx-born designer has built a multi-billion-dollar fashion empire as one of the industry’s most important and recognisable names. To chronicle this journey, HBO presents Very Ralph, the first documentary portrait of the man behind one of the world’s most successful brands in fashion history.

The feature-length film, directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy (HBO’s Jane Fonda in Five Acts, Spielberg), offers a retrospective look at Lauren’s personal and professional life. Extensive interviews with the man himself will cover everything from his childhood and five-decade-long marriage to the early days of his career and legacy of American culture and style. The upcoming documentary also features exclusive access to 50 years of archives from the brand and interviews with Lauren’s family, friends and colleagues. Expect appearances from Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and Naomi Campbell to Hillary Clinton and Martha Stewart.

Since starting his eponymous label in 1968, Lauren was the first to create and market a complete lifestyle brand and one of the first to champion diversity on the runway and in advertising. Today, the 79-year-old designer continues to push progressive business strategies through pledges to tackle sustainability and diversity issues within the industry.

‘Very Ralph’ premieres November 12 on HBO