WASHINGTON — Ralph Lauren’s love for the American flag and American style earned him high honors Tuesday from the Smithsonian Institution, celebrating his five decades in fashion.
Hillary Rodham Clinton helped present the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal to the designer at the National Museum of American History following a naturalization ceremony for 15 new US citizens. The award also marks the 200th anniversary of the actual flag that inspired the national anthem.
Clinton noted that Lauren, 74, is the son of immigrants from Belarus who grew up in the Bronx, N.Y.
‘‘Now surely Ralph and his family . . . could not have imagined, or maybe they could have when they landed in the Bronx, that their lives would be the embodiment of the American dream,’’ Clinton said. ‘‘In particular, Ralph, the youngest, would become synonymous with American aspiration and style.’’
Clinton wore a pantsuit to Tuesday’s event that was Lauren’s first-ever custom-designed outfit for her.