Ralph Lauren's AI app sparks shopping revolution

The Evolution of Online Shopping

In the early 2000s, fashion brands discovered that they could simply upload their inventory to a website and let customers navigate through it to find what they wanted. Over two decades later, the core structure of e-commerce has remained largely unchanged. Shopping online is often a tedious process that involves endless scrolling through products.

However, change is on the horizon. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize the entire online shopping experience. Consumers are already using chatbots to search for and compare products, as well as platforms like Daydream that specialize in clothing shopping. Now, we're witnessing how fashion labels can leverage AI to make shopping on their websites more efficient and enjoyable.

Ralph Lauren Launches Ask Ralph

Today, Ralph Lauren is introducing Ask Ralph, an AI stylist within its mobile app. This 58-year-old fashion brand has partnered with Microsoft to develop an AI agent that simulates the experience of consulting a personal stylist. Users begin by expressing exactly what they’re looking for—whether it's a specific item like "a black cardigan for fall" or something more open-ended like "I’m moderating a panel at a big conference and have no idea what to wear."

Rather than sifting through rows of products, the app does the searching for you. It delivers fully styled looks from the current Ralph Lauren collection that you can purchase immediately. As you refine your preferences—say, cropped cardigans made of cashmere—the AI adapts to your tastes. David Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s chief branding and innovation officer, explains, “We’re trying to recreate the experience of working with a well-trained Ralph Lauren salesperson. We’ve taken all of our best practices and built them into the AI.”

An Early Adopter of Technology

This isn’t Ralph Lauren’s first collaboration with Microsoft. Twenty-five years ago, David Lauren appeared on stage with Bill Gates to unveil Polo.com, the first Ralph Lauren website. At the time, few other fashion brands had any online presence.

David has always been eager to embrace new technologies. Shortly after the website launched, he partnered with NBC to create an online magazine filled with videos and articles that blended content with commerce. In the following years, this approach became common among brands launching blogs on their websites. Ralph Lauren was also among the first to place QR codes in billboard and print ads to direct consumers to its website. “We did this before most phones could read QR codes,” David says. “But people quickly caught up.”

A Digital Stylist Concept

Ralph Lauren has long experimented with the idea of a digital stylist. In the early 2000s, its e-commerce site featured an “Ask Ralph” feature, where users could read content about how to put together a Ralph Lauren look or watch videos of salespeople in a showroom. “What we didn’t have at the time was AI,” David explains. “We realized that AI could help us realize many of the concepts we had dreamt about back then.”

To train the Ask Ralph model, Microsoft used data from Ralph Lauren’s archives and current collections to identify the brand’s unique aesthetic. Ralph Lauren’s creative team, including designers and in-store stylists, contributed to ensure the app would generate highly curated looks that reflect the brand’s style. Members of the in-store team also provided insights on how they assist customers in finding pieces. After creating a beta version of the app, employees were asked to test it and provide feedback.

The Industry Shift

While Ralph Lauren is an early adopter of AI technology, many fashion brands are now developing their own apps. Shelley Bransten, corporate VP of global industry solutions at Microsoft, notes that the fashion industry is shifting from “scroll-based” shopping to “goal-based” shopping. AI helps surface results based on the customer’s specific needs at the moment, making the shopping experience more personalized and relevant.

Bransten adds that many consumers have become so accustomed to using AI agents like ChatGPT that they no longer remember how to use traditional search boxes. Instead, they type full queries into search boxes, which can confuse systems. Companies that have integrated AI into their e-commerce sites are seeing better results, including higher conversion rates, more units per transaction, and improved consumer satisfaction.

Future of AI in Fashion

As general AI agents continue to improve, platforms like Daydream are becoming more powerful. These platforms allow users to describe what they’re looking for and then search for pieces across hundreds of brands. They tailor results to the user’s size, preferences, and budget. Soon, such platforms may replace searching for clothes on Google. However, David believes some customers will still prefer to shop directly on brand websites. “We have loyal, long-term customers who trust us,” he says. “Ask Ralph is another way to deepen this relationship.”

Enhancing the Customer Experience

Ask Ralph is designed to make shopping more efficient for customers while allowing Ralph Lauren to stand out by emphasizing its unique aesthetic. The app curates looks that align with the brand’s distinct style, helping customers enter the Ralph Lauren universe. “Our customers come to us because they like our point of view,” David explains. “We can help them create the look they want more directly.”

The app could also attract new customers. While it simplifies the purchasing process, David hopes it serves as a free tool for anyone seeking help getting dressed in the morning. If a user has a blue blazer and turns to Ask Ralph for styling ideas, the app will curate looks from Ralph Lauren’s archives and style guide.

“People still read fashion magazines and blogs for tips on how to dress,” David says. “I think of the Ask Ralph app as a kind of style book. It helps you figure out how to put a look together in the morning.”