Ralph Lauren Opens Sprawling Childrenswear Store in Milan
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
MILAN — Ralph Lauren on Friday opened its biggest store in Europe dedicated to childrenswear.
Located on Via della Spiga, on the opposite side of the brand’s sprawling flagship, the store reflects Ralph Lauren’s distinctive style, displaying mini-me looks, from the tweed jackets and crest ties to the trucker jackets and smaller versions of the Ricky or Polo ID bags.
More from WWD
“Our presence in Milan is unique in that it showcases the true, full expression of our luxury brands and hospitality in one incredible experiential retail destination,” said president and chief executive officer Patrice Louvet. “The opening of our flagship [in Milan] last year and now the addition of the childrenswear store — the largest in Europe — builds on our focus to win in key cities around the world and to deliver across every occasion and moment in our consumers’ lives.”
The boutique, with four windows and large glass entry doors framed by mahogany wood and aged brass details, covers two floors over 3,240 square feet and carries collections targeting infants and children aged up to 18.
The mood inside the store is residential, with walls and ceilings in white plasters, beautiful chandeliers and armoires, and peppered by the art, vintage furniture — oak tables and leather armchairs, also in children’s versions — as well as trophies and aged books that are recognizable as unmistakably Ralph Lauren.
Cuddly teddy bears abound, mini-stirrup charms and gifts — from rattles to small silver spoons — are also available, and a candy corner is strategically placed at the entrance.
There is also a case showing made-to-order embroidered or monogrammed garments, which can be delivered in a week. More shopping can be done digitally through an interactive screen on the ground floor, which allows shoppers to buy from all of the brand’s collections.
The store is located in the heart of Milan’s luxury shopping area on the pedestrian-only, cobblestoned street, which is going through a renaissance of sorts at the moment, with several high-profile ongoing real estate projects. It is a few steps away from Via Montenapoleone and is in line with Ralph Lauren’s plan to strengthen the presence of the brand in key cities as part of the company’s Next Great Chapter strategic framework.
In addition to two stores dedicated to children’s collections on Madison Avenue in New York, there are also two units at the Dubai Mall and a shop in London’s Bond Street.
In November of last year, Ralph Lauren opened a sprawling flagship in Milan covering five floors over almost 16,000 square feet — complete with a bar and restaurant — the brand’s first hospitality experience in Italy. The flagship carries Ralph Lauren’s men’s and women’s lines as well as the RRL collection. The latter is displayed on the ground floor, while men’s Polo and accessories are available on the first floor, and Purple Label and made-to-measure are on the second floor.
Womenswear and accessories, the Polo and Collection lines are set across the two top floors.
The flagship is part of the Ralph Lauren Corp.’s targeted expansion across Europe, Asia and North America as the company maps out a mix of flagships, smaller boutiques, wholesale partnerships and digital platforms, including a local digital flagship presence. In fact, the company has partnered with key Italian retailers including Yoox, LuisaViaRoma, Slamjam and it has a ralphlauren.it platform.
Recent brick-and-mortar store openings in Italy include a Ralph Lauren unit in Tuscany’s resort town Forte dei Marmi and a Polo Ralph Lauren store in Florence. Previous openings across the region include venues in Rome, Turin, Bergamo, Bologna, Catania, Palermo and Padova.
