It’s fascinating how many luxury brands lean into the “rags to riches” narrative almost like it’s part of the brand DNA. But how often is that actually true? Take Coco Chanel or Ralph Lauren; their stories are iconic, but I wonder how much of it is polished for marketing. Are there any lesser-known founders who genuinely built empires from nothing, or is it mostly a mix of privilege and clever storytelling? Would love to hear if anyone’s dug into the real backstories behind these brands.