Image via Pocket-Lint


Talk about a "designer" app.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is updating their Ralph Lauren Collection App with the new Rugby App.

According to the announcement on Reuters:

Although I was unwilling to mortgage my house in order to actually purchase some of the apparel profiled in this new venture, I still wanted to give the app a try.

The Rugby name, if you're not familiar, refers to not just jerseys, but also to the broader collection of polos and sweaters, all of which can be customized via the Rugby App. Perhaps the coolest aspect of the app, however, is that users can superimpose their face on a rugby model using the iPhone camera to get a preview of how they will look in a particular article of clothing. Those images can then be shared, for example, on Facebook.

The reason this app is so notable, in my view, is because of how highly personalized and socialized it is. And for a "fashion app," that's really significant. Whether you actually buy your own creations or not, users can rate and even purchase their friends' designs. The highest rating on a particular creation will even be featured as the "look of the day."

To appreciate this app, liking the Ralph Lauren Collection itself is completely irrelevant. In the big picture, the app speaks volumes about how so many other apps (fashion related or otherwise) should function as a social and highly personalized experience. And for this reason, I personally hope this app is hugely successful.