Would You Buy a Cup of Coffee Designed by Ralph Lauren?
Wouldn’t you like to see mustachioed Ralph Lauren sporting a bow tie and skinny jeans behind a coffee bar, frothing the milk for your latte? Well, that’s not gonna happen (guys, get real)… but he and several other big name fashion designers are stepping into the steeping world. When it comes to industry beverages, nothing really says high fashion like an espresso in Milan, a cappuccino in Paris or a strong, black pour-over in SoHo. Except maybe champagne, but you’re not supposed to drink that until nighttime, apparently…
As for Mr. Lauren, he’s collaborating with his favorite roaster, La Colombe, to create three custom blends for Ralph’s Coffee, the brand new cafe in the Midtown Manhattan Polo flagship store. While you’re shopping for American classics, you can also take home freshly roasted beans, sip a latte or indulge in a brownie made from Ralphie’s mom’s recipe. On the “coming soon” page for Ralph’s Coffee, the man himself says, “The smell of freshly brewed coffee evokes so many memories for me, mostly of time spent with friends and family, the people I love. I wanted to develop these coffee blends in that spirit and create a place where people could come together and take a break from their busy days.”
Bergdorf Goodman also launched Goodman’s Bar inside its mens store. The biz-within-a-biz will soon begin serving Italy’s finest Illy Monoarabica roasts. LVMH (i.e. Louis Vuitton, for mere mortals) recently purchased a huge chunk of the company that owns Cova, the 197-year-old cafe located in the heart of Milan’s shopping district. They have plans to pair Cova shops up with LVMH flagship stores as a way to expand the brand.
(images via NYT, Anum Tariq and Teri Chung)
What other food and drink would you like to see make a fashion industry friend? Let us know in the comments!
