Yahoo Movies Ralph Lauren Launching Custom Polo Program
Ralph Lauren is getting even more serious about personalization.
Starting today, the company will launch a Made-to-Order Polo program that will enable customers to create their own versions of the brand’s signature polo shirts.
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This is not Ralph Lauren’s first foray into customization — it also offers packable jackets, sweaters and embroidery options on existing polos — but this marks the first time an entire polo can be knit to order.
“We’re constantly exploring, researching and testing innovative ways to create new products that are fresh, exciting and experiential, and that meet the evolving needs of our consumer,” said David Lauren, chief innovation and branding officer and vice chairman of the board. “We’ve seen great success with our industry-leading customization program and have developed one of the most advanced programs in the market today. With the Made-to-Order Polo, we’ve taken our most iconic product and are giving the consumer the ability to reinvent it and design a fully custom product from scratch, that will ultimately have unlimited design options. Each individual product is more sustainably manufactured-on-demand when the order is placed, and this model is a game changer. It has the potential to really shift the paradigm of what is possible in terms of how product is manufactured, and how we think about inventory as it relates to consumer demand — the possibilities are endless.”
The polos are created using flat-knit technology for a soft feel and are available in six designs and 24 color combinations. Customers can choose their own colors, create color blocks of the body, sleeves and collar and customize sleeves with letters, words and initials.
The customization program will be available online and additional graphic designs, logos and limited editions will be added in the coming months, the company said.
In addition to allowing customers to personally design their shirts, Made-to-Order Polo also ticks the sustainability box since it will reduce product inventory, allow for rapid fulfillment and eliminate markdowns. Unlike traditional cut-and-sew manufacturing where patterns are cut from yardage and assembled, each Made-to-Order Polo is knit on demand with the panel pieces coming directly off the knitting machine, knit to size, a process that results in minimal waste.
In order to introduce the new program, Ralph Lauren will launch a global marketing campaign titled “World of Color,” that will include customer experiences and digital activations including a Snapchat Snap lens and a program featuring TikTok personalities. There will also be an experiential mobile pop-up that will visit key markets around the U.S. over the next several months.
Ralph Lauren retail stores and select wholesale locations will also launch color-themed in-store experiences and pop-ups globally.
The Made-to-Order Polo is available for purchase exclusively at ralphlauren.com and will sell for $168. They will be delivered to customers within two weeks.
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