Ralph Lauren is opening a nearly 19,000-square-foot store on Greenwich Avenue with all the ingredients increasingly emblematic of the designer’s retail network. The store is housed inside a newly built structure with an imposing Beaux-Arts limestone facade, large arched windows and balconies; the residential-like interior has several smaller rooms and a grand staircase, and there is a noticeable spotlight on women’s apparel and accessories.
“The Greenwich store represents our progression in a couple of different spheres,” Charles Fagan, Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.’s executive vice president of global retail brand development, explained during an exclusive walk-through of the space on Wednesday. “It dovetails what Ralph and Roger [Farah, Polo’s president and chief operating officer] have been talking about a lot in the last several years, which is our strategic mission of being direct-to-consumer, our focus on accessories, and the focus on international.
“It also represents a balancing of men’s and women’s,” he added. “This continues to balance the retail portfolio with more of an emphasis on women’s and accessories.”
“As we continue to expand our presence globally, Ralph approaches every new development as a long-term investment and creates environments that have relevance and longevity in each community,” Fagan said.
The men’s area can be accessed through a separate entrance and has an equestrian feel, with such features as a beamed ceiling and carriage lanterns. The line focuses on a more casual assortment. “Ralph really felt bullish about the women’s opportunity and the scale of the women’s opportunity,” he added. “We made the primary investment in women’s but the assortment in men’s really speaks to the guy who is here, short of dressing him for business. These are clothes to wear on the weekend or outdoors, with sweaters and great sport shirts.” Marc Karimzadeh