If you couldn’t imagine the Ralph Lauren brand could get any bigger, guess again. This spring the publicly traded company began rolling out the first stand alone retail stores for their Denim & Supply division. Although there are 13 other free standing Denim & Supply locations around the world, these are the first two in the States.
Opened in May in Boston and New York, the stores span more than 4,000 feet and are reminiscent of an artists loft space with exposed brick walls, worn wooden floors, metal framed windows and weathered doors. Spotlights, vintage furniture and old concert posters round out the bohemian vibe. Can we move in?
In keeping with the downtown vibe, the clothes are equally weathered, vintage inspired and free-spirited. There are graphic T’s, Japanese premium denim, Southwest chevrons and antique paisleys for the choosing this season. This could sound like the same old current trend gamble but we were pleasantly surprised when delving into the line. Many of the T’s remind us of old school Banana Republic safari wear. There are great looking chinos, amusing colored denim and a some damn good woven belts at reasonable prices.
There is hope for the artistic set yet.
