In the last post I commented on the option of utilizing a hotel reception room, by previous appointment in the manner of an Atelier, and I decided to investigate this avenue further to add other possible options to keep in mind that are clearly related to the subject of hotels and their connection with fashion.
This search produced two well-known names with the high-end shoe sector: Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin, both directly related – for different reasons – with the luxury hotel chain Mandarin Oriental Group.
Mandarin-Oriental, Barcelona.
1. SHOE STORE OPENING IN LUXURY HOTEL.
Manolo Blahnik opened his second point of sale in June 2011 in Barcelona, specifically in the Hotel Mandarin Oriental. He adds his name to a hotel that already includes native creators Patricia Urquiola (interior design) and Carme Ruscalleda (restaurant).
Why this hotel and no other, when in Madrid he has a storefront location in the middle of the Salamanca neighborhood. Reig Capital has a participation in the group that manages Blahnik Licensing in Spain.
Manolo Blahnik Fall-Winter
A combination that will work – whoever wants some Manolos now has one more place to keep in mind, so I’ll take a walk in Barcelona and along the way I’ll stay the night in a hotel like this one. And enjoy, with my Manolos!
2. PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN (nothing new, by the way)
A famous person lends his image to promote Mandarin Group Hotels. The chain has a considerable number of well-known celebrities, hotel clients, who state a very clear message: “He’s a fan”and what’s more for pure visual thinking you associated with social networks. Remember the old, “Soy Fan”.
Christian Louboutin. elblogdepatricia.com
This collaboration makes for good press, although it is surprising that luxury chain is the one with a campaign so directly connected with social networks, but this is the sort that people like, since the message is not only “I’m a fan,” but that it is accompanied by a donation by the public figures towards a charity chosen by them.
Don’t miss Christian Louboutin in the videos for the hotel group’s Web site, the few minutes will help you get to know this singular designer if you’ve never seen him in action.
As I was saying at the start, two shoemakers directly connected to the hotel group that joins luxury=luxury, as everyone feeds on everyone else in this type of collaboration.
Returning to Manolo Blahnik, I’d like to mention a third point of sale on his native island: La Palma (they say if you’re looking for a particular model, you might be able to find it there!). Now that I’ve had my joke, I should mention that in its day (2008) it came out that the designer was renovating the island’s emblematic Hotel Florida foro his personal use. I found no reference to the project’s completion but it always left me with a desire to know more about Hotel Florida and of course to know how the renovation turned out. One more way to connect hotels and fashion or am I too much of a romantic?