24/12/2009 09:08FT.com / Style - Hotels develop their own designer boutiques

Page 1 of 2http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7f586842-ee81-11de-944c-00144feab49a.html

FT Home > Arts & Leisure > Style

An Issa kaftan by Daniella Helayel

The retail store at the Hualalai Resort in Hawaii

Hotels develop their own designer boutiquesBy Lucie GreenePublished: December 23 2009 23:43 | Last updated: December 23 2009 23:43

Luxury resorts are fast becoming one of the best places to satisfy an interest in exclusive retailsince a clutch of high-end hotels started to develop their own chic boutiques and initiate anumber of designer collaborations.

Here are just some. Kanuhura, a hotelin the Maldives, has tapped women’swear brand Issa by Daniella Helayeland beauty brand Miller Harris to createa range of unique products for itseponymous shop. Beachcomber hotelshave teamed up with designer MelissaOdabash on a holiday collection, andwill soon be working with the children’swear designer Princess Marie-Chantalof Greece. And the Hualalai Resort onBig Island in Hawaii has created a $3mfashion store that currently includesbranded T-shirts from designer JamesPerse and an exclusive dress collectionfrom Derek Lam; next season,Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti andswimwear brand Eres will design lines.

Then there is the One&Only group, which has opened two new-look boutiques at its Capetownand Maldives locations, both offering full ready-to-wear designs from Balenciaga, MariosSchwab, Matthew Williamson, Alice Temperley, Pucci and Missoni. The company also recentlycollaborated with lifestyle label Acne, shoe designer Christian Louboutin (who conceived aspecial collection of espadrilles), and celebrity pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez (who designed ared nail polish) on exclusive ranges. Kuoni, meanwhile, has collaborated with British designerOsman Yousefzada to create a travel collection, K by Osman, focused on locally sourcedproducts.

Bev Malik, who worked with One&Only on their boutiques, explains the logic behind the trend:“Women and men love to shop on holiday, but you see these awful shops that you don’t wantto buy anything from, yet you still visit every day. It’s a captive audience, and resorts arewaking up to this. They’re offering fashion, but also product ranges that are exclusive.”

Indeed, cleverly edited fashionboutiques are proving to be a majordraw for hotels. Isle de France, a smallfamily-run hotel in St Barts, stocksJuliette Longuet, Lenny, and Tom FordSunglasses in its cupboard-size shop,and counts Uma Thurman, Heidi Klum,Daniel Craig and Giorgio Armani amongits devotees. Similarly, Mexico’s LosCabos resorts, including Palmilla andEsperanza, boast multi-brand boutiquesthat are hot spots for Hollywood stars.“For lots of celebrities, it’s the mainreason they choose the resort,” saysMalik. After all, shopping away from the

prying eyes of the papparazzi is enticing.

Patrick Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the Hualalai resort, explains the appeal of their own high-quality boutique. “It fits with our guest profile. Our clients love good restaurants and good spasbut they also love to shop.”

As for the designers involved, representation in the resort boutiques gives them access towealthy consumers, and a brand presence in otherwise unexplored markets. “It’s a great wayto access women who like to shop,” says Issa designer Daniella Helayel, who launched herIssa Holiday range at the Kanuhura resort in November (prices from £248). “You strengthenand build the label’s profile as these resorts are visited by an international clientele,” she says.“When you go away to paradise destinations, you’re tanned and super-healthy so you feelmuch better about yourself. You’re in a much better mood to shop.”

www.isledefrance.comwww.kanuhura.comwww.aubergeresorts.com

FinancialBreadcrumb

SEARCH

LATEST HEADLINES FROM CNN

Mother's grief over son's missing bodySuicide bomber strikes in PakistanStudy: Thousands of Haitan children work as slavesBrazil court allows boy to go to U.S.Jailbreak fugitive updates Facebook page

More

Executive DirectorsBISMember of the IRM Roster of ExpertsAfrican Development BankFinance DirectorRetailBusiness Change and Transformation Consultant

Jobs

Enter keywords

STYLE

Business for sale Contracts & tendersJobs

24/12/2009 09:08FT.com / Style - Hotels develop their own designer boutiques

Page 2 of 2http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7f586842-ee81-11de-944c-00144feab49a.html

www.beachcomberhotels.comwww.oneandonlyresorts.comwww.kuoni.comwww.hualalairesort.comwww.issalondon.com

...............................

The designer experience

While some designers dip into resort retail by designing exclusive collections, other brands takea more comprehensive approach, writes Alex Coles. Visit Cape Town for the FIFA World Cupin 2010, for instance, and you can spend your stay at the new Missoni hotel, where thetrademark prints of designer Rosita Missoni dominate the interior. If Bulgari is more your style,then a trip to their Bali hotel will provide a backdrop of Italian style fused with Balineseleitmotifs. At the Versace chain of hotels the designer influence is so strong even the linen,rugs and cutlery are branded.

For a full-on Armani experience, the Giorgio Armani spa, located in the sleek Armani GinzaTower in Tokyo, cannot be beaten. Its luxury treatments include the three-hour “ArmaniCeremony” which promises to purify and regenerate the skin. And, should you feel the need forsome shopping after your treatment, a ride in the lift to the fourth floor will transport youeffortlessly to the Armani men’s store.

Other brands have opted for a more enigmatic style. Take the Hotel Lungarno in Florence. Itmay not have an obvious brand association but spend a night there and the designerinfluences – carefully sewn detailing on the leather wardrobe handles for instance – are allapparent. Dig deeper and you discover the hotel is run by Lungarno Alberghi, a managementcompany run by the Ferragamo family.

Subtler still is Oasi Zegna, Ermenegildo Zegna’s branding-free eco-tourist retreat in northPiedmont. It offers activities such as mountain bike riding, rock climbing, skiing, and hiking – allto be undertaken, should you so desire, in Zegna’s eco-friendly Oasi cashmere collectiondeveloped in the local Zegna factory.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cutarticles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

Print article Email article Clip this article Order reprints

Twitter Digg LinkedIn Delicious

reddit Mixx Facebook stumbleupon Viadeo

MORE IN THIS SECTIONStylish men’s travel bagsHow to sparkle in the party seasonThe popularity of customised evening wearChristmas gift guide: Last-minuteRemember the ‘us’ in bonusThe classic bow tie stages a comebackThe growing popularity of kiltsWhy gift concierges are thrivingWhy wearing red is tricky to pull offSuits and suitability

MORE ARTS & WEEKENDLunch with the FT: Tristram StuartChristmas cultural quizWhat inspired the founder of Room To ReadCoffee with Orson WellesJames Tissot’s higher society

Advertise with the FT Media centre FT Newspaper subscriptions FT Conferences FT Syndication Corporate subscriptions FT Group Careers at the FTPartner sites: Chinese FT.com The Mergermarket Group Investors Chronicle Exec-Appointments.com Money Media The Banker fDi Intelligence MBA-Direct.com The Non-Executive Director

© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd. Privacy policy Terms

Yahoo! Buzz

RECRUITERS

FT LexiconFT Bespoke ForumsAnnual reportsMarket researchGrowth companiesCorporate subscriptionsLuxury Travel brochuresAnalyst Research

MBA-Direct.comFT Newspaper subscriptionsFT DiariesFT BookshopFT ConferencesFT Syndication servicesThe Non-Executive Director

Retail

FT.com can deliver talented individuals across all industriesaround the worldPost a job now

RELATED SERVICES

FT Home Site map Contact us Help