Ralph Lauren unveils 4-D digital masterpiece

Ralph Lauren promised a 4-D spectacle, a sensory experience and the “ultimate collision of fashion, art and technology” to celebrate its 10 years of digital innovation in the US and the launch of its new e-commerce site in the UK, and boy did it deliver. Using a technique known as architectural mapping it superimposed a light show onto the facade of its New Bond Street and Madison Avenue stores in London and New York respectively last night, made possible by the 3-D replicas projected over them.Balancing a video camera in one hand, my iPhone to take stills in the other I was one among a huge crowd stood on a closed-off section of New Bond Street. Once you realise the technical work that’s behind this, you can’t help but be inspired by all the tricks it made seem possible - the buildings first looked as though they were being rebuilt block by block before the front burst open and a series of four-storey high models emerged in 3-D form seemingly walking along a catwalk towards us.A gigantic handbag spun 360 degrees, a leather belt wrapped itself around the middle of the entire block and a series of colourful neckties swung from the rooftop.The brand's iconic polo players charged mid-game back and forth towards one another, and even Ralph Lauren himself waved from a top window.The 4-D element of the show arrived when four spinning fragrance bottles emitted real perfume into the air, while the sensory experience was further emphasised by an accompanying soundtrack that pulsated along the street. Save from explaining anymore, however, you’d do better to watch for yourself: "This is the biggest idea that we’ve come to yet," I heard David Lauren, senior vice-president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications, say earlier the same day at the International Herald Tribune Heritage Luxury Conference."This is not about screens, this is not about stores, this is not about ads - this is about taking technology to the air. This is about reinventing the way in which we look at fashion, technology, art, architecture; the way in which we look at retail; the way in which we look at branding. It will never be the same again."He referred to the event as a large-scale art installation and referenced illusionist David Copperfield as well as elements from James Cameron's box office hit Avatar as real-life possibilities thanks to this new technology. "It happens right before your eyes with no glasses, no wires, no screens... it’s an amazing thing."For all his commitment and enthusiasm about the new spectacular, he gave the plaudits to his father, now 70, who made a crucial decision 10 years ago: “When the design team said that luxury products should not be online, it was my father who said: ‘No way. This is my future.’”Although the event was restricted to London and New York, the aim is to push it virally with video footage of both the show and behind the scenes posted online and through the brand's mobile applications.The launch of the new "digital flagship" in the UK is the brand's first e-commerce venture outside the US. RalphLauren.com currently has a turnover of $200m a year, and plans are in place to open this further still with an Italy site slated for spring 2011, and Asia thereafter.Here is the behind the scenes video too: Rachel Arthur, associate editor, media & marketing

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