Ralph Lauren Oprah Winfrey Gala Benefit [Pictures]

>> After chatting with Ralph Lauren during the last season of her talk show earlier this year — "It took me 25 years to score an interview with [him]," Oprah Winfrey said of the designer — the two reunited for a sequel interview last night. The black-tie event, which raised more than $7 million for the Ralph Lauren Center For Cancer Care and Prevention in Harlem and Lincoln Center For the Performing Arts, brought a crowd ranging from Anna Wintour to Naomi Watts to the entire Lauren clan.

Pre-interview, Lauren admitted: "I don't know what she's going to ask, but if I can't answer, I'm going to run." Prabal Gurung, in attendance, hoped that she would ask Lauren about his secrets to success: “I just want a few formulas that I can take back to the office.”

Without further ado, Winfrey introduced Lauren, saying “He designed the fabric of America as we really all know it today, but we’re here tonight because Ralph Lauren is more than just a tastemaker — he’s a lifesaver," before asking him about how he's maintained and reinvented his brand over so many years: "You copy — that's why I am still here, Oprah," he quipped, drawing laughter. More seriously, he added: “I never went to fashion school, I never had the training. It came from inside. I know what it’s like to yearn for something and not have the money to buy it." He also admitted: "After doing this all this time, my hands still get sweaty before a show."