Casa Camper, Off the rails, RunwayOFF THE RAILS
Published in Runway, a new inflight magazine for the airline Sky Europe
Would you like your new pair of designer jeans to come with a matching mobile phone, bottle of booze or hotel key? Helen Jennings reports on how the fashion industry is spreading its stylish wings…
Today fashion is about more than what you wear, it’s an entire lifestyle choice. The big brands are capitalising on our desire to buy into to the ultimate fashion statement by branching out into other industries with the confidence only those in vogue can.
Food and fashion aren’t the most obvious of bedfellows but that hasn’t stopped Giorgio Armani from hogging the duvet. Nestled between the rails of clothes at his Milanese flagship store there’s Armani Dolci (chocolates), Armani Nobu (Japanese food) and, the jewel in the crown, Caffè Emporio Armani. The restaurant concept has proved so popular that he has rolled it out in 14 cities including Paris, Boston, Buenos Aires and London. The British branch boasts a central bar, silver ceiling, amber mirrored walls and a long window that gives ladies who lunch a birds eye view of Brompton Road.
Armani also plans to open his first hotel in Dubai skyscraper next year, which will face some stiff competition from its neighbour Hotel Missoni. Similarly, Bulgari has hotels in Milan and Bali and Donatella’s resort Palazzo Versace is on the Australian Gold Coast. Such luxury brands understand how to cater to the rich and famous, making these hotels a logical brand extension thanks to a readymade client base equally willing to buy an It-bag from them as they are to book a suite.
It’s not all about the stinking rich however. Spanish shoe company Camper also has its own hotel only this one, in keeping with the company’s quirky philosophy, is eco friendly and affordable. Tucked away in the edgy El Raval district of Barcelona, Casa Camper is unassuming from the street but once inside, novel features include bicycles for hire dangling from the roof, a floor to ceiling display of potted aspidistras and a 24 hour self service canteen with free food. The hotel is like a giant advertisement for Camper allowing guests to become fully immersed in its values and sense of style.
Likewise, Miss Sixty opened Sixty Spa in Riccione, Italy last year. Each of the rooms is designed by a different young artist under the guidance of Wichy Hassan, co-owner of the Sixty Group. The emphasis is on creating an interactive feel with guests able to stay in touch with each other via web cam. "We wanted to knock down the four walls and make the Sixty hotel a friendly community," says Hassan.
Levi Strauss has put communication first by launching its first mobile phone this summer. Similar to the Prada LG KE850, the Levi’s handset is sleek and sexy to the touch and has all the usual bells and whistles inside. “Technology plays a pivotal role in the lives of young Europeans today and the mobile phone has become the accessory that best defines their culture. Levi’s has always been in tune with youth culture therefore a mobile phone is the natural addition to our accessory range,” says senior vice president You Nguyen. “The phone is designed to be worn with our jeans through a detachable chain and mirrors the brand values in terms of innovation, design, quality and craftsmanship.“ Coming in a silver, black or brown copper finish with a reflective screen and engraved with Levi’s iconic logo, it’s the ultimate fashion gadget.
Something to wet your whistle? The fashion crowd have that thought of that too. Roberto Cavalli’s premium vodka is made with alpine spring water and filtered through flakes of Carrara marble. And Diesel founder Renzo Rosso produces two limited edition wines – the oaky chardonnay Bianco di Rosso and robust and buttery Rosso di Rosso made from Merlot and Sauvignon grapes. “For me it’s important to remember who got me to this position in the first place. I bought the Diesel farm 10 years ago for my father, although he is no longer alive to enjoy it,” says Renzo. “We produce wine and olive oil now too. Each vine only produces around two or three bunches of grapes from which we make 300 bottles of pure genius.”
So where will fashion’s current craze for brand extensions go next? Gucci cars? Chanel golf courses? Pringle PDAs? Well, if we could all get our hands on a Stella McCartney-designed Coutts credit card, at least then we could afford to buy whatever ingenious lifestyle product or service the fashion set dream up next.
Words Helen Jennings