Paris – One of the biggest Polo Ralph Lauren stores yet has opened in an original Parisian hôtel particulier (townhouse) on the Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris.
The store covers around 1,200 square metres and will be home to a premier assortment of Ralph Lauren collections, including the Black and Blue Labels, as well as a new restaurant, Ralph’s, the first Ralph Lauren restaurant in Europe.
The building dates from the 17th century. Much of its French rococo interior has been restored, with finishes ranging from rough limestone paving and aged French white-oak panelling in the restaurant to Versailles-style parquet flooring and plaster moulding and carvings in the more formal rooms.
‘I wanted to create a unique environment that captures the glamour, culture and the artistic spirit of the Paris I have fallen in love with,’ says Ralph Lauren. ‘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.’ To further see how luxury retailers are using heritage in their design, read our Alphalux macro design feature.