I f you were at the Australian Open this year, there was no missing it: just inside the gates of Melbourne Park was a Ralph Lauren store, selling towels and water bottles and polo shirts in the style of the tournament’s officials.

For the third year running, the American brand synonymous with preppy style was front and centre at the Grand Slam, all part of the company’s wider ambitions here in Australia. Like, for instance, the opening of a 700-square metre, four-storey flagship on Sydney’s Pitt Street where all of its collections, including the supremely upmarket Purple Label, will be available for the first time.