NEW YORK ? Mobile Marketer attended an exclusive event hosted by Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. where the preppy retailer announced its latest mobile initiative, the Rugby Make Your Own application.

The unique application is a first of its kind within the Ralph Lauren family of innovative lifestyle marketing. Consumers can make their own Rugby directly from their iPhone or iPod touch and share the style and buy it.

?RalphLauren.com was the first extension of our lifestyle brand into the digital space,? said David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications at Ralph Lauren, New York.

?Rugby.com was the next extension and we are now launching this application as part of our next evolution for Rugby,? he said. ?The application is a seamless integration between retail and the dot-com.?

Consumers can customize their own Rugby with patches, share and order their Rugby styles within the application.

Rugby Ralph Lauren is a brand that is targeted to consumers ages 18-25. Casual campus style meets downtown/urban prep at Rugby.

The Rugby shirt is the brand?s signature of its classic sporting heritage.

The application follows the successful launches of http://www.rugby.com and m.rugby.com. The application is meant to serve as a 360-degree retail innovation platform that engages with consumers through mobile, in-store kiosks and outdoor display content in store windows, and online.

Per Mr. Lauren, the application aligns with the way that consumers express themselves.

Users can create a Rugby shirt and share their design by posting it to their Facebook walls or emailing the design to a friend.

Letting customers create, customize and define how they are using the application is a differentiation point for this application launch.

Once consumers go through all the steps - dragging and dropping designs and patches onto their Rugby - they can upload and share it with other application users through a user-generated gallery.

Other application users are able to browse the style gallery and can even buy Rugbys that others have created.

Consumers can choose a standard experience or they can be more creative and customize their shirt, wherever and however they like.

Users can create the perfect look that complements their personal style.

Also, Rugby stores in New York and San Francisco will now have an interactive store window where pedestrians walking the streets are encouraged to stop and create their own Rugby or browse the gallery of Rugbys created by users of the iPhone application.

Much like the iPhone experience, users just drag and drop by swiping their hands over the store window and can buy Rugbys by swiping their credit cards.

Ralph Lauren is no rookie when it comes to mobile.

In April, the preppy retailer launched an iPhone-optimized site for Rugby.com, the site for its sporty line of Rugby apparel.

Like the existing WAP site that is optimized for all other mobile devices, the iPhone site lets consumers browse and buy all products that are available on Rugby.com (see story).

Last October, Ralph Lauren made mobile fashionable with the launch of an iPhone application that lets users experience the glamour of the Ralph Lauren Collection on the Apple device.

The application invites Apple iPhone users to view collection styles that are currently in stores via video highlights from its runway show. It also offers a look behind the scenes with its Backstage Pass photo gallery in addition to full run-of-show video and Lookbook feature (see story).

In August 2008, Ralph Lauren launched a mobile commerce service to let consumers buy products through their handsets.

The company claims to be one of the first luxury retailers nationwide to launch a mobile commerce site and incorporate Quick Response codes in advertisements (see story).

The Rugby application just announced is another example of how Ralph Lauren?s Rugby understands the times we live in and understands the wants and needs of its customer, per a senior executive running online and mobile efforts.

?The mobile landscape has changed drastically over the last couple of months and standing out has become very difficult,? said Anthony Romana, vice president of interactive media at Ralph Lauren. ?This app really takes customization to the next level by letting consumers make purchases right from the application.

?This is a first,? he said.