ART DECO STYLE: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has tapped an in-house talent to design the uniforms for the staff of its Cheval Blanc Paris hotel: Patou artistic director Guillaume Henry.
The hotel, adjacent to the recently opened La Samaritaine department store, and Patou’s headquarters on the neighboring Ile de la Cité, both overlook the Seine river in Paris and have their roots in the Art Deco era.
Cheval Blanc Paris is housed in a building designed by Henri Sauvage and completed in 1928, while Patou was founded in 1914 and reached its heyday during the Jazz Age, with a client list that included silent film star Louise Brooks and cabaret performer Josephine Baker.
“They share an intimate aesthetic, too: keeping a high profile but without ostentation — the right kind of Parisian chic,” Cheval Blanc said in a statement. “Graphic purity, Art Deco accents, and contemporary well-being are hallmarks of the collection.”
Henry has created distinct outfits for each post, from the lobby and reception to the terrace and restaurant, using materials including matte wool, cotton piqué, poplin, and georgette crepe.
Details include musketeer cuffs, inlaid or slightly cowled collars, embroidered pockets, puffed sleeves and touches of satin or mother-of-pearl. Gold buttons with a signature parquet pattern, and the Cheval Blanc Paris crest, complete the looks.
It will be the first urban hotel for Cheval Blanc, which has locations in the French ski resort of Courchevel and Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, as well as the Maldives and St. Barths, in addition to an upcoming location in Beverly Hills.
Olivier Lefebvre, chief executive officer of Cheval Blanc, said the hotel designed by Peter Marino would have 72 rooms ranging in size from 485 square feet, to 10,765 square feet for the seven-room penthouse suite, which include a home cinema and a private pool, and can be directly accessed from street level for maximum privacy.
Room prices start at 1,150 euros. The hotel, due to open on Sept. 7, also features a Dior spa and five restaurants.