Are Fashion and Hospitality Collabs Reaching a Tipping Point?

Condé Nast Traveler

9 hours ago

It took me a minute to find the entrance to Sushi Park at the flagship location of Saint Laurent in Paris, along Rue Saint-Honoré. Dark and unassuming, it looked more like the staff entry to the store than a gateway to an upscale Japanese restaurant. But then an elegant hostess clad in a little black dress led me down a dimly lit flight of stairs to an omakase restaurant done in dark woods and clean lines, dimly lit by light fixtures in abstract shapes. The space was minimalist, buzzing with an army of servers all dressed in casual-smart Saint Laurent. Ten first-rate courses of nigiri unfolded at a comfortable pace, as the chefs and servers moved in perfect harmony to feed a style-conscious crowd. It was a dining experience that rivaled a meal at any of the most coveted Parisian restaurants—and yet an addition to the Saint Laurent brand that I initially found to be entirely unnecessary. So why did they do it?
The crossover of luxury fashion houses into the hospitality realm is nothing new. In the 1970s and '80s, Elio Fiorucci's New York City flagship store was described as a 'daytime Studio 54,' a hub for fashion, art, and social interaction where a coffee counter and bar were a highlight (also, Andy Warhol had free office space there). In 1995, supermodels Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer launched the bygone Fashion Cafe at Rockefeller Plaza. Palazzo Versace, located on Australia's Gold Coast, was the first hotel branded after a fashion designer when it opened in 2000.
A meal at Sushi Park rivaled an evening at any of the most coveted Parisian restaurants
Kristen Pelou/Sushi Park
At the minimalist Sushi Park restaurant, servers are all dressed in casual-smart Saint Laurent.
Kristen Pelou/Sushi Park
In the decades since, designer labels have claimed more and more enduring spaces in the worlds of food, hospitality, and travel. Gucci Osteria, a collaboration with star chef Massimo Bottura, opened in Florence in 2018 and expanded to four outposts across three continents. Louis Vuitton launched a glamorous, fully-branded lounge-within-a-lounge at Doha International Airport in 2022. Dior now has two branded spas in Paris and has opened a wellness retreat on the French Riviera. This year already, in 2025, Saint Laurent imported Sushi Park from Los Angeles to Paris; Prada engaged the Hong Kongese filmmaker Wong Kar-wai in the design of its brand new Mi Shang restaurant in Shanghai.
That's all without including the limited-edition collaborations between fashion brands and hotels that come and go with the seasons. Burberry has been taking up residence at The Newt in Somerset this summer; Lacoste has installed itself at the Shangri-la Paris until October; a new Missoni Resort Club has popped up in Cali Mykonos in Greece. The point remains: This trend is not totally new—and yet seems to be reaching a zenith.
The proposition is simple enough: Create a brand destination for everyone, whether locals or tourists, to visit. These built spaces bring to life a highly-curated world that exemplifies the brand—the slinky chicness of Saint Laurent's Sushi Park, the iconic heritage of Tiffany's at the Blue Box Cafe in London, Ralph Lauren's Americana at the long-standing Polo Bar in New York City. Sure, they give designer devotees a reason to visit and shop at the adjoining boutiques. But for guests to even just linger and gather nearby, soaking up the brand's aura, is a win for their marketing teams. It cultivates a relationship between the label and a potential customer. And while not everyone has the budget for a $6,000 Louis Vuitton mini Capucines bag, a trip to the Louis Vuitton Café for a hot chocolate ($11) or an eclair ($14) is—comparatively—more accessible. These products come with the LV logo too, easily captured and posted on social media, amplifying the brand's voice and reach. Small swag items that brand fans can purchase, from Saint Laurent stamped lighters to Dior water bottles, serve a similar purpose.