New York City is in the midst of a private member’s club renaissance. But according to Usher, the most exciting one you can join isn’t even a physical place—at least, not yet.
On Wednesday, Ralph Lauren revealed that the eight-time Grammy winner is the face of its newest fragrance, Ralph’s Club New York. The men’s eau de parfum—a daring and self-assured blend of blackcurrant, bergamot, vanilla, and sandalwood—is the fourth scent in the Ralph’s Club franchise, and has both an impressive longevity and sillage, the French word for a cologne’s ability to linger in the air once its wearer has left the room.
It’s a departure from the lighter, fresher fragrances Usher remembers wearing as a younger man, and a signal that guys who care about colognes are after increasingly distinctive formulations.
“People are now, obviously, more sophisticated, and they want something that is going to have a real expression,” he told Robb Report in an interview. “Initially when you spray it, to smell those high notes of black currant and bergamot, it’s bold,” he said of Ralph’s Club New York. “It could be off-putting for someone if you don’t have the confidence to wear it.” But he calls the basenotes—which include moss, balsam fir, and Bourbon vanilla—crowd-pleasing enough to appeal to a wide variety of people—including his 15-year-old son.
“When I wear it around my kids, they’re like, ‘What is that? Can I have it?’” he said. Picking up his pre-launch lab sample, he added, “We’ve gotta put this up before I lose the last bottle.”
To promote the scent, Usher will appear in a variety of ads wearing (what else?) Ralph Lauren; for the videos, he reimagined Frank Sinatra’s classic ode to the Big Apple, “New York, New York.” He says Lauren wanted Usher to be a true partner in conceiving the photos and videos, not simply a spokesmodel, which made the job all the more appealing. “I’m happy that I was able to be as creative as I was, and that I was able to take the type of license that I could in creating this campaign.”
In the shots released so far, he’s wearing outfits that might grant one entree into Ralph’s Club New York. “Everybody loves that moment of getting dressed to go out,” he said. Though the club isn’t a physical place, it’s suggestive of the kinds of hospitable environments Ralph Lauren’s hospitality arm has created in Chicago, New York, Paris, and Sao Paolo: stylish spaces that offer amazing food and excellent service.
Asked what kind of members a real life Ralph’s Club New York might enroll, Usher pointed first to himself. “I would not only be a member, I would be the president,” he said with a laugh. “I would hope that it would be a place that would host George Clooney or Mariah the Scientist. It would host Pharrell or Kendrick Lamar. Kamala Harris or Playboi Carti.” As for the dress code? “I’m willing to put a suit on. I’m willing to dress up for that.”
But until that dream becomes a reality, the best way to experience what Ralph’s Club would feel like is to spray on the new scent.
