Inside The Rise Of The Fashion X Luxury Hotels Relationship

27.03.2024 - 09:35 / forbes.com / Charles / Karl Lagerfeld

From Armani Hotels to Palazzo Versace, the fashion and hospitality worlds have long been amicable bedfellows. Last year alone saw the Christian Louboutin and Karl Lagerfeld brands open five-star properties—respectively, the Vermelho Hotel in Melides, Portugal and The Karl Lagerfeld Macau in China. Then there are the recent designer x hotel crossovers, such as the Fendi Beach Club at Puente Romano in Marbella, Spain; the Valentino takeover at Palazzo Avino, in Ravello, Italy and the Sir Paul Smith Suite at Brown’s Hotel in London, to name but a few.

Launching next month at London-based The Other House (a sustainably-focused, private residents’ house), is ‘The Green Thread’, a partnership with sustainable design duo VIN + OMI. The project will act as a platform for innovation in design, culture and sustainability, with a fashion show kicking off the initiative on 2 April at The Other House South Kensington. The show will feature VIN + OMI’s latest collection called ‘Sci-Fi Magpie’ and will see Dame Prue Leith and Jo Wood walk the catwalk wearing textiles derived from waste plant material sourced from HM King Charles’ Sandringham Estate. Going forward, the designers will also advise The Other House on creative sustainability, as the group looks set to open The Other House Covent Garden in early 2025, with the integration of their designs, from art to fabrics, across the properties.

Meanwhile, giving the fashion-hospitality relationship a whole new different spin, is NO Uniform, a luxury design house which curates cutting-edge, sustainability-minded uniforms for leading names in hospitality. Nicholas Oakwell, the British haute couture designer who founded the brand, said he wanted to challenge the conventional notion of bland hospitality uniforms, which renders the wearer invisible, by offering innovative styles, vibrant hues and luxurious fabrics that truly reflect the luxury industry.

“We have all become more aware of design, whether it is our clothes, cars or interiors, and now, with social media, we are bombarded with it,” says Nicholas. “When it comes to a uniform, it’s often been overlooked, yet a hotel can extend its brand’s identity with the right piece; it can truly make a statement. A well-designed uniform is also important for staff, to give them a sense of belonging and to feel empowered to represent the brand.”

NO Uniform has conceived timeless concepts for prestigious brands, that range from historic hotels, such as Claridge’s, to renowned establishments, including Nobu and Fairmont. Each collection aims to accentuate the client’s identity with the uniforms becoming a key element of the guest experience. Specialising in new hotel openings, NO Uniform has recently partnered with Raffles &