High fashion design meets : hotel interior design

 A symbiotic historic connection between fashion and interior design has made for an intriguing interface for decades. At WOOLF we frequently look at the body of work of fashion designers to inspire our work. We often spot a direct correlation between the two, and can see the magic that happens when these two worlds collide. 

In this article, we focus on how fashion designers have influenced hotel design through the ages. In the hospitality sector, there is a wealth of hotels using fashion designers’ works to design the interiors for their brands, and results in instantly recognisable iconic design.

The Dior Suite, The St Regis Hotel, New York

The Dior Suite is a highly luxurious hotel room in the prestigious The St Regis Hotel in New York, which was designed as a collaboration with the fashion icon Christian Dior, inspired by the designer atelier in Paris.

The room is fully furnished with custom Louis XVI-style furniture in calming neutrals and greys with opulent gold accents, with the design expertly reflecting the neutral tones and striking sculptural shapes which Dior’s fashion is known for.

The interface between Dior’s fashion and interior design is both subtly imbued in the furnishings, but also overtly referenced through artwork featuring Dior-inspired sketches and fashion.

The Armani Hotel, Milan, Italy

When looking to design a hotel situated in the heart of the fashion district in Milan, Italy, it seems a natural decision to marry together fashion design and hotel interior design.

The Armani Hotel provides a world of harmony and calm in true Armani style, where every element has been curated by Giorgio Armani himself.

The moody, formal, and almost masculine edge to Armani’s clothing and accessory design is reflected in mood lighting, silvers and greys, and modern, sleek lines. If you could turn a chic grey suit into a room, this would be it.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Schlosshotel, Berlin

Late German fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld, expertly applied his iconic fashion style to Berlin’s most prestigious Grunewald district’s Schlosshotel.

The eclectic, gothic opulence that his fashion embodies is weaved through the furnishings and décor of the hotel’s 43 rooms and 10 suites, including, of course, that of the Karl Lagerfeld Suite which is furnished with some of his favourite items.

Palazzo Versace, Queensland, Australia

The Palazzo Versace became the world’s first fashion branded hotel, as an homage to the late Gianni Versace, where the ornate and luxurious hotel is decorated richly to reflect the iconic fashion house’s aesthetic and showcases how perfectly the two disciplines can marry.

Iconic pattern, gold accents and the use of their Medusa logo ensures that the space is instantly recognisable as being inspired by Versace.

The Vera Wang Halekulani Suite at the Halekulani Hotel, Hawaii  

Designed by the renowned fashion designer, Vera Wang, the Halekulani Suite embodies style and sophistication with feminine interior design that reflects the beauty of her fashion design. Opting for soft sun, sea, and sand elements to reflect the setting of the hotel, the suite is an overall merging of island and Asian influenced furnishings to result in a space that feels true to Wang’s design.  

Diane-von-Furstenberg, Claridge’s London

Diane-von-Furstenberg’s bold design and use of pattern translates from her unique fashion design into the daring interior decor of some of the iconic Claridge’s hotel design. In particular, the Grand Piano Suite marries together Claridge’s usual elegance with Furstenberg’s unique approach and resulted in a sell-out space with a long waiting list. In all 20 of the rooms she designed, patterned fabrics that mirror those used in her clothing pair with classic carpentry and furniture to create a modern space where surprises are abound, but not over-done.

Not only does the intertwining of interior and fashion design result in unique and pioneering spaces, it creates a narrative that is attractive to prospective customers who may want to stay in a hotel designed by the most prestigious designers. If you have a hotel project where you may want to incorporate fashion influences to create a unique personality and narrative, do get in touch with us at Woolf Interior Design and Interior Architecture.