Clothes, shoes, bags, fragrances, home furnishings, bars, restaurants, and now, a coffee outlet in Hong Kong. What is behind the American brand’s latest move in Asia?
WHEN THE RALPH LAUREN company reopened its flagship store located in Hong Kong’s luxury shopping belt, Tsim Sha Tsui, it also took the opportunity to introduce its lifestyle offering, that of an in-store coffee counter, Ralph’s Coffee. The brand already has similar food ventures in Chicago, New York, London and Paris.
Why a coffee counter within the store? To get my answers, I ordered an Americano, a latte, an iced latte, and an iced tea – all within an hour. The chief barista had a grin stretching from one ear to the other, glad at the enthusiastic reception. “You like the coffee?” he asked when I placed my last order of coffee. “Yes,” I replied, my hands shaking from the caffeine overdose and hoping he wouldn’t notice.
How different are the caffeine offerings here? To be honest, they tasted like any decent, freshly brewed cuppa from independent coffee chains. Yet, I was beaming with a sense of newfound (fashion) pride. In hindsight, I was imbibing the brand’s values, attitudes, behaviour, social status, entertainment and dress — in other words, its lifestyle.
Bu hikaye T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine dergisinin May 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine dergisinin May 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Look At Us
As public memorials face a public reckoning, there’s still too little thought paid to how women are represented — as bodies and as selves.
Two New Jewellery Collections Find Their Inspiration In The Human Anatomy
Two new jewellery collections find their inspiration in the human anatomy.
She For She
We speak to three women in Singapore who are trying to improve the lives of women — and all other gender identities — through their work.
Over The Rainbow
How the bright colours and lively prints created by illustrator Donald Robertson brought the latest Weekend Max Mara Flutterflies capsule collection to life.
What Is Love?
The artist Hank Willis Thomas discusses his partnership with the Japanese fashion label Sacai and the idea of fashion in the context of the art world.
The Luxury Hotel For New Mums
Singapore’s first luxury confinement facility, Kai Suites, aims to provide much more than plush beds and 24-hour infant care: It wants to help mothers with their mental and emotional wellbeing as well.
Who Gets To Eat?
As recent food movements have focused on buying local or organic, a deeper and different conversation is happening among America’s food activists: one that demands not just better meals for everyone but a dismantling of the structures that have failed to nourish us all along.
Reimagining The Future Of Fashion
What do women want from their clothes and accessories, and does luxury still have a place in this post-pandemic era? The iconic designer Alber Elbaz thinks he has the answers with his new label, AZ Factory.
A Holiday At Home
Once seen as the less exciting alternative to an exotic destination holiday, the staycation takes on new importance.
All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go
Chinese supermodel He Sui talks about the unseen pressures of being an international star, being a trailblazer for East Asian models in the fashion world, and why, at the end of the day, she is content with being known as just a regular girl from Wenzhou.
