The Inkling Volume 3

Mr & Mrs Pride 3
By miss fletcher
us fi gures thr o ug ho u t time that
dy o ur PRI DE va lues.
(1939 - )
an in fashion.”
wish immigrants in The Bronx, one of the
ressional districts in the entirety of the
, Ralph Lauren had a tough upbringing.
as a house painter by trade, making
anting more comfortable prospects for
ren’s mother pushed him to become a
er, Lauren was determined to make his
nd had a burgeoning obsession with
orked after school as a stock boy to
ght in to the retail industry, forever
chieving his goal.
ome a businessman, Lauren attended
e, but dropped out after only two years.
ntered the army before becoming a
Brooks Brothers (a luxury clothing
hen attempted to introduce his own
ties, but was repeatedly rejected.
e moved to Beau Brummell Neckwear,
d him to design and sell his own ‘Polo’
their shop. A steady growth in sales,
auren tirelessly delivering his ties to
s, raised his reputation and enabled him
ider brand. He began to design women’s
ear, introducing his now famous Polo
as catapulted to success with the shirt
d his own store… and then another, and
another, until he had as many as 109
the world. Lauren currently ranks as
st man in America.
Amalia Eriksson (1824-1923)
"The mother of candy.”
Eriksson was no stranger to isolation and tragedy; at the
age of ten her immediate family were struck down by
cholera and did not survive. Her ill fortune continued: she
gave birth to twins, but one baby was stillborn, and, less
than a week later, her husband died. By the age of 35,
Eriksson was poor and widowed with a young child to
raise.
It was this destitution that led to the discovery of a recipe
that would delight the Swedish people. Her daughter
contracted a dreadful cold, yet money was too scarce to
purchase medicine. Instead, Eriksson bought some
peppermint oil and combined it with vinegar and sugar into
a substance that her daughter would easily consume.
Hoping to emulate cough lozenges, Eriksson got to work
on the mixture. In effect, Eriksson made a candy cane and
her daughter adored the taste. The medicinal benefits
were minimal, yet it was clear that money could be made
from this venture.
However, at the time women were not allowed to own
businesses. Unperturbed, Eriksson petitioned the council
and was granted special permission from the mayor to
begin selling her produce. She named the candy Polkagris
as red swirls in the candy cane conjured the image of
dresses swirling in the Polka (a popular dance). The shop
was an instant success, with even members of the royal
family visiting to satisfy their sweet tooth. To this day, over
10 million candy canes are handmade in Gränna using
Eriksson’s original method. Despite her traumatic and
difficult life, Eriksson made do with what little she had and
had ended up an incredibly esteemed and wealthy lady by
her death at the age of ninety-nine.