Hundreds of Ralph Lauren devotees crammed into the Rhinelander Mansion and onto Madison Avenue and 72nd Street last night just to catch a glimpse of Mr. Lauren himself. That is, the digitized version of the fashion legend. All the clamor and excited shouts from the champagne induced Laurenites was for the viewing of RALPH LAUREN 4D, a mesmerizing 4D presentation of the fashion house’s luxurious dreamscape.
With the lofty aim of changing the way we see fashion forever, RALPH LAUREN 4D is an advanced video mapping technology that was projected Wednesday evening onto the façade of the Ralph Lauren flagship locations in New York and London. This global event truly marked a first for the fashion industry while further reinforcing in the public eye the dedication of the Ralph Lauren brand to technological innovation. Inspiring, the crowds cheered ebulliently as the vibrant universe of Ralph Lauren illuminated the evening sky. Moving footage of iconic product was brought to life on the façade of 888 Madison Avenue creating a dramatic collision of fashion, art and technology.
“While celebrating 10 years of RalphLauren.com in the U.S. and the launch of e-commerce in the UK, we look forward to exploring new ways to tell our brand’s story through innovation and technology,” said David Lauren, Senior Vice President of Advertising, Marketing and Corporate Communications. “The light show is an extension of the Company’s dedication to pioneering the digital space with exciting and unique concepts.”
RALPH LAUREN 4D is indeed a ground-breaking approach to architectural video mapping. It proves once again that Mr. Lauren is always at the forefront of the zeitgeist while still remaining true to his classic roots. Through the exhilarating light installation, viewers experienced a montage of flashing scenes of larger-than-life sized images including strutting models and thrashing Polo players as well as iconic Ralph Lauren fashion accessories such as the Ricky Bag, ties and belts that wrapped the length of the building. The projection gave the illusion that images were extending beyond the building and floating out into space toward the audience. The façade of 888 Madison Avenue became a mosaic of realistic illustrations complemented with transient sounds of music, illusions of blowing breezes, and even light mists of the new Big Pony Collection Fragrances were infused into the night’s air. Glorious in its opulent imagery, the show gave the urge to reach out and furiously grab all that delicious luxury.
As Polo Ralph Lauren further expands its digital presence, including the launch of e-commerce in the UK, RALPH LAUREN 4D is the Company’s most recent initiative in the technology realm. Pioneering the fusion of fashion with of the moment technology, the launch follows other innovative platforms already set in motion by Ralph Lauren. These are most notably its visually enticing and highly profitable e-commerce sites for RalphLauren.com and Rugby.com, among others.
After viewing Wednesday night’s spectacular presentation, one can only imagine what Mr. Lauren and Co. have up their finely tailored, digital sleeves next. While the 4D light projections of Ralph Lauren and his world were exquisite yet ephemeral, the party continued post-show at the Rhinelander Mansion where Mr. Lauren, his family and supporters were physically present amidst the very tangible pieces of their beautiful fantasy.
New York RALPH LAUREN 4D Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5CBWTRhgGc
Matt Semino on The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-semino
