The sky above the Upper East Side was turned into a stunning visual installation last night as Ralph Lauren celebrated its new store on Madison Avenue and ten years of e-commerce on RalphLauren.com. In what was billed as a “4D light installation,” passersby on the street were invited to experience a montage of larger-than-life sized images, including models and Polo players four stories tall and iconic Ralph Lauren fashion accessories that wrapped the length of the building. The projection was grand in spectacle and stunning in execution, giving the illusion that images were extending beyond the building and floating out into space toward the audience. The light show was complemented with transient sounds of music, illusions of blowing breezes, and even light mists of the new Big Pony Collection Fragrances, that were infused into the night’s air.

Through the use of advanced video mapping technology, this global event (a similar show took place in London) marked a first for the fashion world, and showed the Ralph Lauren brand moving in a more innovative direction, combining art, music and fragrance with its venerable fashion brand.

Find out more about the event and the new Madison Avenue flagship by visiting the store at 888 Madison Avenue in New York. Or head over to RalphLauren.com and the official Big Pony site for details about the new collections.
Check out a clip of the show below:

Big Pony Fragrance Collection in 4-D Ralph Lauren Light Show

Instead of aiming for drama, mood and atmosphere, the braintrust behind New York's highly anticipated Fashion’s Night Out have hit us with an ostensibly unfashionable “PSA” featuring some of the world’s top models. But maybe that’s the point. Unlike the rest of New York Fashion Week — which panders to the industry’s elite — FNO is for the casual fashionista; at least that’s what a series of decidedly un-glam, grinning supermodels will have us think. The above trailer features 14 of the industry’s top models directed by world-renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh, in an effort to drum up hype and support for the now annual shopping event.

See a sampling of the night’s festivities, including in-store appearances from the Olsens, Alexander Wang and Janelle Monae, after the jump…

Dreamed up by VOGUE’s Anna Wintour last year, the sophomore version of FNO looks to eclipse its predecessor in both size and scope. On September 10th, New York’s bold and beautiful will embark on an all-night (stores are open until 11 but expect after-parties galore), celebrity-enhanced, shop-a-thon of the most epic proportions. To call this year’s scheduled events overwhelming is a massive understatement. Some of the night’s festivities include: a karaoke competition at Barney’s hosted by the Olsen twins; Opening Ceremony’s indoor flea market at the Ace Hotel featuring sartorial luminaries Alexander Wang, The Mulleavy sisters, and Joseph Altuzarra peddling their exclusive goods; Andre Leon Talley hosts a Janelle Monae performance at Ralph Lauren’s Soho shop; Karen Elson performs at Balenciaga; and the list goes on, and on, and on.

But despite all the promises of rare celebrity tete-a-tetes and a chance to party with New York’s gliteratti, FNO’s not-so-secret mandate is simple: make a profit. The fashion industry was one of the biggest casualties of the recession and FNO is their chance to help its friends bounce back. Need further incentive to open up your wallets? More details and a full lineup of events can be found at www.fashionsnightout.com.

-Daniel Barna

To celebrate the launch of his new book, fashion blogger and street-style photographer Scott Schuman (a.k.a. The Sartorialist) is setting up shop in New York and London, with a new pop-up appropriately titled “SartoriaLUST.” The retail space — at Barneys New York and Liberty of London — has been specially curated by Schuman to showcase all the “sartorial” things that he appreciates, uses and lusts after.

Clothing brands represented include cozy tees and heavy shirts from Schuman-approved favorites like Ralph Lauren, Jil Sander and Marc Jacobs, along with special menswear pieces from newer labels like Duckie Brown. The only leather goods line showcased at the deftly-compiled shop is WANT: Les Essentiels de la Vie — a line of covet-worthy leather bags, luxurious totes and classic accessories based out of Montreal. For the pop-up shop, WANT created a limited-edition, custom-made SartoriaLUST line, with the color, shape and size of each piece in the collection hand-chosen by Schuman himself. The pieces range from a sleek leather portfolio case to a classic black leather camera bag, perfect for Schuman and aspiring photographers and bloggers alike. All the pieces are stamped with the gold SartoriaLUST logo to ensure their collectors-worthy status. Want to check out the full line? Stop by the pop-up shop at Barneys or visit www.wantessentiels.com. The event runs until September 29th.

You may not be able to afford their pricey duds, but there’s a new way for New Yorkers to get a taste of their favorite designers. Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch are adding “mixologist” to their lengthy resumes, creating drinks for Lower East Side bar Local 138′s summer cocktail menu. Lauren’s “Ralph Raspberry Rum Punch,” is made with crushed raspberries, rum, lemon and lime juice, while Burch’s “Tory Tikki Tini,” is made with grapefruit, mango, strawberry and pineapple. Jacobs’ drink is a take on the classic mint julep. He’s calling it the “Marc Mint Martini.”

Local 138 has always been a favorite of ours, with a casual, neighborhood vibe that’s refreshing to find among the host of pretentious bars in the area. Now there’s another reason to check it out. Local 138 is located at 138 Ludlow Street, between Rivington and Stanton.

(photo from NYC On Tap)