Ralph Lauren launches Ask Ralph, its new AI fashion stylist
David Lauren, son of fashion icon Ralph Lauren and the brand’s chief branding and innovation officer, is steering the luxury label into the artificial intelligence era. On Tuesday, Ralph Lauren unveiled “Ask Ralph,” a conversational AI-powered fashion assistant available to users of its U.S. mobile app.
The digital stylist, built in collaboration with Microsoft using OpenAI’s foundation models on Azure, draws from decades of Ralph Lauren archives and lookbooks to provide outfit suggestions for events and answer style questions in natural language. One query even settled a classic debate: yes, it’s fine to wear white after Labor Day—a view the real Ralph Lauren shares.
Lauren, who has long pushed the brand into digital innovation, acknowledged that the launch will invite both feedback and criticism.
“With AI we have to accept that no matter what the criticism is, it’s a learning curve. And we want to get on that curve quickly so we can learn as much as we can,” he said in a conversation with the WSJ Leadership Institute.
Luxury brands have been slower to adopt consumer-facing AI due to concerns that tech-driven interactions could dilute the exclusivity of the shopping experience. But nearly three years into the generative AI boom, more companies are experimenting with ways to use the technology to enhance customer engagement.
Since joining the company in 2000, David Lauren has been instrumental in weaving technology into the brand’s fabric. Ralph Lauren was among the first luxury fashion houses to sell online, later introducing innovations like the PoloTech biometric “smart” shirt, a holographic runway show, QR-enabled clothing tags, and AR-powered shopping experiences.
That early embrace of digital platforms, Lauren said, laid the groundwork for today’s AI shift.
“Every brand can use any technology today. Using it in a way to help enhance your vision is the key. That’s where the magic happens. And that’s where mistakes can happen. There also has to be patience,” he noted.
The company expects the AI tool to evolve with user interaction, growing more personalized and relevant over time. For Lauren, the launch is another step in redefining how technology can complement—not replace—the artistry of fashion.
