• by Harvey Chipkin , Columnist, August 22, 2023

"The worlds of fashion and hospitality have always been intertwined, however now more than ever," said Robert Burke, founder and CEO of his namesake fashion and retail consultancy. "It's an exciting new chapter for retail and travel." That’s a quote from an article in a fashion media outlet called Fashionista, which goes on to say, “there are many reasons for fashion's growing infatuation with hotels. The simplest one? They're cool.” 

Although the fashion-hotel connection is longstanding, hospitality companies continue to seek new ways to leverage it. For instance, it’s long been the custom for fashion companies to “lend” products to celebrities to get exposure. Now one hotel is moving into that territory, but with guests rather than with the famous. The Gansevoort Meatpacking, a boutique hotel in New York, is loaning guests sunglasses from its Meatpacking District neighbor and designer brand, Barton Perreira.

According to an announcement, Gansevoort Rooftop (home to what is purportedly the city’s first rooftop pool) is providing guests with a choice of 24 sunglass styles to shade them while lounging at the guest-only pool.

Should guests wish to keep their shades, they can take them home and have the charge billed to their room, or stop by the Barton Perreira Meatpacking store right across the street to take advantage of a discount available only to Gansevoort’s guests.

Anton Moore, general manager, said the property is always looking for ways to further engage with neighbors. Partnering with luxury fashion retailers, he said, “feels like a natural avenue for immersing guests in the pulse of the district, giving them a unique opportunity to get indulgent with their personal style during their stay.”

Barton Perreira’s demographic, said Moore, is in line with those of the hotel’s guests, especially following the property’s recent $30 million renovation and rebranding into the luxury category. “When we were looking to elevate our poolside experience this season,” said Moore, “their products immediately came to mind.”

Meanwhile, a global hospitality company, The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), and luxury fashion brand Camilla, have collaborated for the creation of hand-painted silk prints featuring LHW member hotels in Italy. On one print, images of designer Camilla Franks’ stay at the Hotel Santa Caterina on the Amalfi Coast, including tiled murals, flowers and trees, can be found on a variety of high-end clothing and accessories.

Lauren Alba, vice president, marketing and communications for LHW, said the company has seen an uptick in strategic luxury partnerships among its members. It’s a fantastic way to align with likeminded brands and reach a wider audience together, she said. For example, this summer several member hotels have partnered with fashion brands for their beach clubs: Palazzo Avino with Maison Valentino, Puento Romano Resort with Fendi and La Réserve Ramatuelle beach club with Loro Piana.  

The synergy between Camilla and LHW, said Alba, “allows us to engage our current guests creatively, as well as introduce a new audience to our collection of 400 hotels through the world of luxury retail.”