“We have found that we have different views on how to evolve the creative and consumer-facing parts of the business,” Larsson told investors on a conference call Thursday.

Larsson has a sterling reputation in the retail industry, having led an impressive turnaround effort as the chief executive of Old Navy when that chain’s parent company, Gap, had little else going its way. When Larsson ditched Old Navy for the top job at Ralph Lauren, many industry analysts saw it as a major score for the Lauren brand. That probably explains why the stock tumbled some 11 percent Thursday morning after the move was announced.

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Analysts pressed Larsson for more specifics on a conference call as to exactly what he and Lauren disagreed on. He offered few details, other than to say that they were not aligned on things, such as product, marketing and store experience.

“We worked hard to find common ground. We didn’t,” Larsson said.

It’s difficult to discern where the tension might be, as the company says it is sticking with a turnaround plan that Larsson unveiled to investors in June. The Way Forward plan calls for the company to close 50 stores, slash about 1,000 jobs, overhaul its supply chain and reduce the number of items, among other moves.

The company has shown signs of progress on those efforts: In the most recent quarter alone, Ralph Lauren closed 12 stores. It also dramatically reduced the number of items in its spring clothing line, offering 20 percent fewer pieces. (The idea is to more tightly edit lines that had become bloated with “unproductive” garments that didn’t sell well.)

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The company has also moved to reduce the time it takes for a garment to go from a sketch to being stocked on store shelves. To do that, it has turned to fabric platforming, a tactic Larsson implemented at Old Navy and had experience with from a stint at H&M. The brand buys large amounts of fabric ahead of time, settling later on the exact garments and styles.

Ralph Lauren reported Tuesday that its revenue fell 12 percent in the most recent quarter. The decline, in part, was driven by a strategy to reduce inventory funneled to wholesale partners, such as department stores in North America. Meanwhile, in its own stores and websites, it is cutting back on profit-eating promotions, which perhaps is prompting shoppers who’ve become accustomed to those deals to stay on the sidelines.