When Ralph Lauren’s Madison Avenue flagship, the breathtaking five-floor Rhinelander Mansion, opened in 1986, Ralph Lauren said, “I’m not just selling clothes. I’m selling a world, a notion of style. I’m offering a philosophy of life.” And indeed, his environments are just that: From the architecture to the furnishings, each element is distinguished by meticulous craftsmanship and lived-in luxury. The result is spaces that are both authentic and vividly cinematic—visions rooted in history but brought to life with imagination.

Step into a Ralph Lauren environment, and you are transported to a world that’s unmistakable—gracious, welcoming, timelessly elegant. Whether you’re amid the formal splendor of Madison Avenue, the romance of Paris’ Left Bank, the clubby comfort of The Polo Bar—in London, Moscow, or Tokyo—you will know, instantly, that you are inhabiting Ralph Lauren’s vision. And while these spaces have a feeling of effortlessness, of always having been there, of being meant to be, in fact this ease is achieved only through tremendous care and uncompromising attention to quality.

The first flagship is emblematic of this philosophy. While the ornate Renaissance Revival mansion, with its famously evocative window displays, feels like it’s been a pristine anchor of Madison Avenue since the turn of the century, in fact its current splendor was a triumph of dedicated restoration. Designed in the 1890s by the famed Gilded Age firm of Kimball & Thompson, when Ralph Lauren acquired 867 Madison—after years of searching for the ideal space—less than 5 percent of its lavish original interior remained intact. Returning the 20,000-square-foot home to vibrant life was a painstaking labor of love, requiring meticulous historical research and the artistry of hundreds of skilled craftsmen.

Working with design consultant Naomi Leff, Ralph Lauren and his team labored for more than two years on the mansion’s hand-carved Honduran mahogany balustrades, ornate plasterwork ceilings, marble fireplaces, and warmly polished oak floors. Meanwhile, an eclectic range of antique furniture, brass fittings, glowing rugs, oil paintings from around the world, and black-and-white Jacques Henri Lartigue photography were being meticulously sourced. No detail was neglected, from Chinese vases overflowing with fragrant flowers to well-loved mohair teddy bears in the children’s department. The result was not only an architectural marvel and a gift to New York but also a wholly new and luxurious retail experience: a chance for anyone to step out of time and into a tangible fantasy. It was an invitation to the movie that was in Ralph Lauren’s head.

The creation of the neighboring flagship in 2010—what Ralph Lauren termed “a shamelessly romantic” home for his women’s and home collections—was innovative in a completely different way. This time, he started from scratch, commissioning a 22,000-square-foot neoclassical marvel by architect Thomas Hut and the design team of Weddle Gilmore. In its serene, timeless elegance, with its classical proportions, sweeping staircase, silent dumbwaiters, and Turkish marble halls, 888 Madison harmonized with the neighborhood’s original Beaux Arts architecture and evoked the days of the Vanderbilts, but in fact the four-floor mansion had replaced an anonymous office building. As then New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg commented, “We can no longer say, ‘They don’t build them like this anymore.’”

But even as the stores share Ralph Lauren’s overarching commitment to artistry and American heritage, each has been painstakingly tailored to its unique setting. In Beverly Hills, for instance, the imposing 444 North Rodeo Drive space, completed in concert with Gruen Associates, evokes a beachy, West Coast aesthetic while maintaining an unfussy elegance. Tumbled French limestone, aged brass, hand-plastered walls, and wide-plank vintage oak flooring provide a rustic warmth; large windows and the airy arcade bring light and air. Meanwhile, a courtyard fountain, generous antique fireplaces, and wrought ironwork take inspiration from Old California.

For the Paris flagship, a 17th-century hôtel particulier at 173 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Ralph Lauren and the Weddle Gilmore team worked closely with historical advisers to restore—and create—accurate period detailing. White oak paneling, intricate parquet, gilded mirrors, and rococo chandeliers meld with the clean American classicism that is the brand’s trademark: The result has the energy and beauty of a Gershwin symphony. The same spirit was applied to the attached restaurant, Ralph’s, which combined flawless renditions of American cuisine (including the best hamburger in Paris) and relaxed comfort with inimitable Left Bank style.