For the love of luxury: When travel and fashion collaborate

Trusted brands face a growing demand for a more “holistic” luxury lifestyle experience, including lifestyle elements from travel to fashion. Collaborations between the two industries are on the rise to align with the needs of their mutual customers, but is this trend expected to continue?

New York Times best-selling author and award-winning producer Melissa Rivers believes it will. “From the fashion brand side, they are targeting their core customer, taking it to a higher, more curated level. People that can afford to stay at these hotels can afford to shop at these brands – it’s all-encompassing.”

From a travel perspective, John Scanlon, general manager of the Beverly Hills Hotel, explains, “Now more than ever, guests are looking for something exclusive and special to experience when they travel.”

Travelers can see proof of the trend in the number of collaborations between luxury hotels and fashion brands in recent months.

Until now, the personalized shopping experiences of Saks’s Fifth Avenue Clubs have only been available at Saks Fifth Avenue stores. That changed this summer with the launch of private, standalone Saks suites at luxury hotels across the United States.

For this venture, Saks partnered with Marriott International and their premium hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis. The collaboration is natural for the two established brands, combining luxury travelers’ desire for style, exclusivity, and privacy.

Local customers and hotel guests alike can now take advantage of Saks’ personalized shopping and styling appointments in the luxury hotel suites’ intimate and unique setting.

To celebrate this year’s Dioriviera launch and its limited edition pieces, the Beverly Hills Hotel transformed its pool deck into a dreamy Dior beach club. Umbrellas, cabanas, and a Dior ice cream cart, all covered in Dior’s signature toile de Jouy motif, surround the hotel’s signature outdoor pool.

A pop-up Dior boutique is on the pool’s upper deck, where Dior lovers can purchase various items, including stylish straw hats, J’Adior slides, a range of Dior homeware, and Christian Dior surfboards and yoga mats. Notable releases include a special edition Dior Book Tote with “Beverly Hills” embroidered on the front and a special edition Dioriviera scent.

Hotel guests can also enjoy Le Jardin Des Rêves Dior Spa Cabana, an indoor-outdoor spa offering four signature treatments for the face and body.

The pop-up will be open until Sept. 4.

The Dorchester London hotel announced the launch of “The Dorchester Slipper” in collaboration with shoe designer EDHÈN Milano. A testament to the longstanding friendship between the two brands, the slippers bring together London heritage and Italian craftsmanship.

The slippers were inspired by the “sleepwear as daywear” trend. Two versions of the slipper are available in the colors of the hotel’s new interiors: light heather blue with handmade silk triple bow and a darker blue velvet with cream trim inspired by The Dorchester Rose.

The Dorchester also partnered with long-term partner and sustainable fashion brand Sestini to create The Dorchester Sunglasses.

Luca Virgilio, General Manager of The Dorchester, says, “The design is inspired by celebrated interior designer Oliver Messel whose work features throughout The Dorchester and is finished with Sestini’s signature 1980s twist.”

He explains, “The Dorchester evokes a certain way of life that our guests want to live long after they leave the hotel. Now more than ever, guests are seeking a holistic luxury experience, one that they can share on social media, talk about with their friends, and feel like they are part of more than just the hotel brand when they stay. They want to be part of a community, and this is the goal we set out to achieve with these fashion collaborations.”

2023 marks the Diamond Anniversary of Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, one of Rome’s luxury hotels. To celebrate, Rome Cavalieri orchestrates a series of events throughout the year, including collaborations with some leading names in Italian fashion.

The hotel’s 60th anniversary uniforms will be designed by famed Italian couturier and designer Maurizio Galante, using the 1960s as inspiration. Galante is well-known for creating pieces that blend sophistication, tradition, and innovation.

Rome Cavalieri has also collaborated with two other prestigious names to present hotel guests with a swimwear capsule collection. The collection comprises hotel-inspired bikinis by Italian-made Kinda 3D Swimwear and swim trunks from the men’s luxury clothing brand Battistoni. Both items are sold only at Cavalieri Grand Spa Club on the hotel’s premises.

Along with the collaboration with Battistoni, guests of Rome Cavalieri can also explore the designer’s historical labs and atelier in the heart of the city. Attendees will witness master tailors at work and begin creating their own custom suits, coats, or shirts.

According to former editor-in-chief of Elle Decor and global tastemaker Whitney Robinson, The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas, is “more than just a pretty place to rest your head; hotels represent the ultimate lifestyles.”

To provide guests with the ultimate luxury experience, the Ocean Club and Robinson and Stubbs & Wootton, known for their bespoke and ready-to-wear slippers, have launched a luxury capsule collection.

This partnership was the first fashion collaboration for Whitney and the first hotel collaboration for Stubbs & Wootton, with the legendary Caribbean resort serving as inspiration. Robinson explains how such collaborations are the perfect “holistic way for guests to remember the property long into the future.”

The luxurious Grand Hotel Tremezzo (G.H.T.) in Lake Como has had its fair share of collaborations with equally prestigious fashion brands.

Among recent collaborations, a limited edition G.H.T. hardside 21-inch carry-on suitcase was added to Bric’s Bellagio collection. Lightweight, scuff resistant, and complete with four double swiveling wheels and an integrated TSA lock, this piece is a great companion for every trip and adds a touch of G.H.T. style to any traveler’s luggage.

In addition to the luggage, the boutique also sells its own luxury silk clothing line made in collaboration with F.R.S. and a bag line with Chez Dede, among other items.

Items can be purchased from the hotel’s signature boutique, Sense of Lake.

Italian styling at Monaco’s Hotel Metropole

As part of Hotel Metropole’s mission to provide their guests with impeccable service and curated experiences, the hotel established a collaboration with the Italian fashion label Dolce & Gabbana. The partnership, aptly named the Mini Me By D&G experience, focuses on younger guests.

The hotel understands that children may also want to enjoy their memorable moments while traveling with family, and this experience allows little ones to enjoy their own personalized D&G outfits during their stay.

Guests interested in this offering must complete a pre-arrival questionnaire listing their children’s preferences and sizes. A selection of carefully curated items will then be placed in their rooms ahead of time, ensuring the children will experience an enchanting welcome to Monaco.

Ski trippers to St. Moritz are already familiar with Paradiso, run by Badrutt’s Palace. Accessible only via ski or chairlift, Paradiso’s Mountain Club is now in its third season, and members can enjoy the extensive wine and champagne list at the Gucci Lounge, redecorated by Gucci each season, that overlooks the stunning snow-peaked mountains of the Engadine Valley.

Staff at the lounge also have the honor of wearing longstanding names in the luxury ski wear space, including Fusalp bodysuits, Santoni mountain boots, and Vuarnet sunglasses.

Producer Melissa Rivers sees limited edition items as “a trip’s new souvenirs.” She adds, “Plus, it’s very clubby, very ‘insider’ and says to others that can afford to stay in those places that you were there too. It’s almost like a status symbol, or rather, a badge of honor.”

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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