The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Sep 27th 2010 at 9:01AM

Ralph Lauren has relaunched his famed flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York, transforming it into the world's foremost mecca of men's style. Spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, the Mansion, originally converted into an opulent retail palace by Lauren in 1986, now exclusively houses the designer's various men's collections with the company's first Women's and Home flagships due to open across the avenue later this fall. Originally designed in the 1890s by Kimball & Thompson, the the large French Renaissance Revival Mansion is an architectural treasure as well with a classic Beaux Arts façade exemplary of the the Upper East Side's grand architecture.

The new space showcases the Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, RRL and RLX Ralph Lauren collections of men's apparel and accessories, with an emphasis on the most luxurious elements. Service has been stepped up as well, with butlers to serve snacks and drinks on silver trays and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes to chauffer important clients on shopping trips. The store features a full range of impeccably crafted made-to-measure suits, dress shirts, trousers, topcoats, sport coats and formalwear customized to exacting measurements, and made-to-order accessories and leather goods. Every room in the Mansion has been updated with cinematic decor in keeping with the neoclassical style of the original grand residence, from antiques and fixtures to furniture and art, including 18th- and 19th-century oil portraits and noteworthy photographs from Ralph Lauren's personal collection.

Gallery: The New Rhinelander Mansion

The ground floor features a refined selection of Purple Label and Polo haberdashery, with a dramatic display of luxurious Ralph Lauren timepieces. On the second floor, the complete world of Purple Label unfolds, including an assortment of hand-tailored suits, haberdashery and sportswear. The dramatic Beaux Arts interior is enhanced with accents of charcoal grey, black and deep purple with polished nickel and antique silver hardware and metalwork. The fully restored Clothing Room (above) highlights made-to-measure suits, which can run as high as $34,000 apiece, while the newly refreshed Rotunda Room showcases an extensive offering of made-to-order luggage and a curated collection of antiques.

A fully dedicated Polo apparel and accessories area occupies the third floor, recalling the private clubs of Harvard, Princeton and Yale, along with a vintage-styled section dedicated to RRL, featured for the first time in the Mansion. In keeping with the modern sophistication of the Black Label collection, the fourth floor is inspired by race cars and speedboats, with mid-century furniture and decorative elements including motorcyles. The floor encompasses rooms for Black Label tailored clothing, sportswear and accessories, as well as a complete "gifting area" offering a carefully curated selection of exclusive collectibles for the modern man. This floor also includes the luxe, innovative RLX Ralph Lauren collection of high-tech sporting apparel for skiing the slopes of St. Moritz or driving a supercar on the Autobahn.

Tags: antiques, architecture, Beaux Arts, boutique, decor, designer, furniture, Gilded Age, Harvard, interior design, Ivy League, leather goods, luggage, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, mansion, New York, photographs, Polo, Princeton, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, retail, Rhinelander Mansion, store, suits, Upper East Side