

Its first Australian World of Ralph Lauren store opened last year at Chadstone in Melbourne now, Sydney is set to get one too, opening this March 31 at 138-140 Pitt Street. In 2012, it ended its licensing agreement with Oroton Group, and since Louvet’s appointment, it has been aggressively opening flagship boutiques and in Australia, it has expanded significantly, opening six new boutiques in two years. Louvet, who previously worked at Proctor & Gamble and came to Ralph Lauren in 2017, says the company has “completely reset itself” in the past few years, especially here, where the tennis association is only the tip of the iceberg. He made it his mission to turn that around, sensing that the parallels between American and Australian style, matched with our relaxed lifestyle, would make for a perfect fit. The fashion brand’s chief executive, who was in Australia to celebrate the company’s partnership with the Australian Open, says that when he started with Ralph Lauren, the country was very much an afterthought for the business. Patrice Louvet is the man who spearheaded it all.


Since Patrice Louvet’s appointment as CEO in 2017, Ralph Lauren has put Australia squarely in its sights. Like, for instance, the opening of a 700-square metre, four-storey flagship on Sydney’s Pitt Street where all of its collections, including the supremely upmarket Purple Label, will be available for the first time. I f you were at the Australian Open this year, there was no missing it: just inside the gates of Melbourne Park was a Ralph Lauren store, selling towels and water bottles and polo shirts in the style of the tournament’s officials.įor the third year running, the American brand synonymous with preppy style was front and centre at the Grand Slam, all part of the company’s wider ambitions here in Australia.
