POLO RALPH LAUREN OPENS ITS LARGEST EUROPEAN FLAGSHIP IN PARIS

New York, NY– In April 2010, Polo Ralph Lauren will unveil its newest store on the Boulevard Saint Germain in Paris—one of the Company’s largest and most exquisite stores in the world. Following the opening of Place de la Madeleine (Menswear and Womenswear) and Avenue Montaigne (Womenswear and Watches), this nearly 13,000 square-foot store (1,200 square meters) will be home to a premier assortment of Ralph Lauren collections as well as the impressive restaurant “Ralph’s”—the very first Ralph Lauren restaurant in Europe.





“I wanted to create a unique environment that captures the glamour, culture and the artistic spirit of the Paris that I have fallen in love with. Now, with this store opening, in the most romantic part of the city, I finally feel I have been able to tell my whole story in Paris,” said Ralph Lauren, Chairman and CEO of Polo Ralph Lauren.

The Saint Germain store is located in one of Paris’ most prestigious shopping areas. The building is a Built in the mid-1600’s, the façade features classical French architecture in limestone with rich carving and ornamentation, accented with wrought-iron balcony railings and a traditional zinc-and-slate roof. Many areas of the interior, finished in the French rococo style, have been restored, with finishes ranging from rough limestone pavers and aged French white-oak paneling in the restaurant, to “Versailles” style parquet flooring and plaster molding and carvings in the more formal rooms.

The building is accessed through a grand Passage Cochere, or arcade, that leads to an interior courtyard. Inside the courtyard, the rear buildings stand two floors high, as they were originally stables for carriages and horses. This unique area will become the restaurant, opening onto the courtyard.









Historical advisers were consulted with throughout the store’s design and reconstruction process, to ensure the building’s architecture remained true to the original.

Within the store, a full range of men’s and women’s selections will be showcased. For women, experience the modern elegance of runway Collection apparel, chic and sophisticated Black Label and the bohemian glamour of Blue Label. Men’s offerings include expertly tailored Purple Label, the sleek silhouettes and bold styling of Black Label and classic, preppy Polo essentials. Also offered is an exquisite variety of men’s and women’s accessories—including vintage and fine jewelry, as well as a dedicated watch salon on the ground floor, and a shop in the attic dedicated to authentic and rugged RRL denim. In addition, an assortment of textiles, gifts, and accessories from the Ralph Lauren Home Collection is presented throughout the store. The restaurant completes this exceptional and unique shopping destination.

The watch salon, the first in France, presents the three iconic collections of Ralph Lauren Timepieces: the Ralph Lauren Stirrup, the Slim Classique and the Sporting. Also featured are the 2010 novelties presented at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in January.

Building on the brand’s continued success in Europe, this opening in Paris is part of Polo Ralph Lauren’s initiative to further strengthen its European presence with a strategy geared towards locations that reflect the vision and philosophy of the Ralph Lauren brand. The new boutique on Boulevard Saint Germain will complement the women’s store which opened last year on Avenue Montaigne, and the existing landmark store on Place de la Madeleine, which opened in 1986, marking Ralph Lauren as the first American designer to establish a boutique in France.

Ralph Lauren:

173 Boulevard St. Germain

75006 Paris