From exclusive restaurants to five-star hotel suites, luxury houses expand their businesses by offering bespoke experiences to top clients
In a world where experiences increasingly define luxury, merely owning material goods is no longer enough. Major fashion brands are now shifting their focus towards hospitality, recognising that it has become essential not only to wear a brand but also to experience it.
Leading this transformation are renowned houses such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Saint Laurent, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. These brands are blurring the lines between haute couture and high-end travel, dining and wellness. Fashion, jewellery and watch brands are now setting the table, booking hotel suites and offering spa experiences, thereby extending their influence beyond traditional retail spaces.
Saint Laurent Brings Sushi Park’s Japanese Dining Experience to Paris
Saint Laurent has entered the fine dining scene through an unexpected collaboration with Sushi Park Paris. In partnership with Los Angeles’ renowned Sushi Park—famed for its ultra-authentic, no-frills approach to Japanese cuisine—marks a new chapter of elevated dining to the City of Light under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello.
Located at 123 rue Saint-Honoré, within Saint Laurent’s iconic Rive Droite space, the restaurant reflects the brand’s commitment to exclusivity and sophistication. The design is minimal yet luxurious, featuring dark tones, clean lines, and intimate lighting—creating an atmosphere that perfectly complements the omakase-style menu crafted by the master chefs at Sushi Park.
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This partnership isn’t just about haute cuisine; it’s a strategic extension of Saint Laurent’s world, inviting guests to experience the brand’s ethos through taste, design, and ambience. At Sushi Park Paris, fashion and food seamlessly intertwine with effortless cool.
In Shanghai, Prada and Wong Kar-Wai Blur the Lines Between Film, Food and Fashion
Meanwhile, across the globe in Shanghai, Prada has taken a different yet equally alluring approach by collaborating with filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai to open the Prada Caffè inside the luxury department store Plaza 66.
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This is not just another high-end cafe. Prada and Wong Kar-Wai have created a dreamlike space that feels plucked straight out of the director’s films, featuring soft lighting, lush velvet seating, and a colour palette rich in greens and pinks. Even the menu offers a sensory experience, showcasing a mix of Milanese dishes reinterpreted for the Shanghai palate. It’s a nostalgic, cinematic journey that captures the essence of Prada.
Louis Vuitton Opens a New Chapter in Travel Luxury at Doha Airport
If you find yourself passing through Hamad International Airport in Doha, your travel experience is about to receive a serious upgrade. Louis Vuitton, in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, has unveiled the Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno.
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Nestled in the airport’s luxury zone, this lounge is a tribute to effortless sophistication. With signature dishes made from locally sourced ingredients and custom Louis Vuitton furniture and tableware, it offers travellers a unique taste of the brand’s legendary savoir-faire. Here, it’s not just about catching your next flight; it’s about doing it the Louis Vuitton way.
Dior Introduces a Spa Experience Aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express
For Dior, the idea of hospitality takes a more indulgent turn. Following the success of their pop-up spa on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Dior has now unveiled the Dior Spa Eastern & Oriental Express—a first-of-its-kind luxury Spa experience on rails.
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Travelling through Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the Eastern & Oriental Express offers guests bespoke Dior spa treatments while they enjoy stunning landscapes from the comfort of their suites. A custom facial as tropical jungles and ancient temples pass by your window embodies a new level of luxury on the go.
Audemars Piguet’s AP House Los Angeles Sets a New Benchmark in Watchmaking
Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has long recognised that buying a timepiece is an emotional experience. Now, with the opening of AP House Los Angeles, they have elevated this philosophy even further.
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Designed as an intimate living space rather than a traditional retail store, AP House is perched atop the iconic hills of West Hollywood. Here, VIP clients can try on the latest collections while lounging in stylish, sun-drenched rooms filled with contemporary art and bespoke furnishings. It offers a private, personal, and profoundly luxurious experience—everything Audemars Piguet stands for.
Vacheron Constantin’s Suite 1755 in Dubai Merges Haute Horlogerie with Five-Star Living
Not to be outdone, Vacheron Constantin has debuted its own hospitality concept: the Vacheron Constantin Suite 1755 at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira in Dubai. Named after the year the storied watchmaker was founded, Suite 1755 offers a complete immersion into the brand’s universe. Guests can enjoy tailored experiences such as private watchmaking workshops and bespoke décor inspired by Vacheron Constantin’s rich heritage. This suite elevates a simple overnight stay into a genuine collector’s journey.
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Why Fashion and Luxury Giants Are Betting Big on Hospitality
At first glance, it may seem like a luxury brand opening a restaurant, spa, or private lounge is simply a side project. However, in today’s experience-driven economy, it’s a strategic masterstroke. By creating tangible, sensory experiences, brands can forge deeper emotional connections with their audiences, strengthening loyalty in ways traditional advertising can no longer achieve.
By expanding beyond fashion, jewellery, and watches into sectors such as food, wellness, and travel, these brands can diversify their portfolios and protect their revenues against market volatility.
Additionally, offering exclusive spaces—whether a hidden sushi bar or a bespoke hotel suite—enhances a brand’s cultural capital, making it even more aspirational in the eyes of consumers. Ultimately, these ventures are centred around storytelling, inviting customers to step into the world a brand has crafted and to fully engage with it.
The Role of Education in Fashion’s Hospitality Transformation
As fashion brands continue to expand into the realm of hospitality, a new kind of expertise is becoming essential: professionals who understand both luxury branding and the intricacies of exceptional service. Institutions like Istituto Marangoni Milano are already anticipating this need with specialised programs such as Fashion Luxury & Brand Management for Hospitality.
This new generation of leaders must be trained to navigate the complex intersection of fashion, lifestyle, and high-end experiences. Students are taught how to translate a brand’s essence into tangible hospitality projects, whether those are boutique hotels, signature restaurants, or luxury wellness retreats. They acquire skills in brand storytelling, customer journey design, and experience innovation—precisely the expertise needed to create seamless, aspirational environments that today’s consumers seek.
In a time when brand experiences must be as captivating as the products themselves, education becomes the driving force behind fashion’s next great transformation. The future of luxury lies not only in runway shows or flagship stores but in every detail of how a brand can be embodied, felt, and remembered.
For future students of Istituto Marangoni Milano, the Postgraduate Industry Scholarship Competition 2025/2026—launched in partnership with Four Seasons—offers a unique opportunity to access this cutting-edge education with a 50% tuition deduction. To participate, applicants must reflect on the growing convergence between fashion and luxury hospitality, a trend that has gained increasing relevance in recent years. The prompt is: “In recent years, the cross-pollination between Fashion and Luxury Hospitality has become increasingly significant. What is your opinion on this phenomenon? What are the most relevant case studies?” Participants are asked to submit a visual report (including visual and bibliographic references) accompanied by an 800-word explanatory text. Deadline: June 23, 2025.
Why the Future is Total Luxury
As brands continue to expand their presence in the lifestyle and hospitality sectors, the concept of luxury itself is evolving. The fashion giants of tomorrow will not only focus on clothing or accessories; they will create entire immersive worlds where every detail, from the scent in the air to the stitching on the pillow, will reflect the brand’s identity.
Offerings like Saint Laurent’s restaurant, Prada’s cinematic cafe, Louis Vuitton’s gourmet lounge, Dior’s mobile spa, Audemars Piguet’s hillside house, and Vacheron Constantin’s bespoke suite are just the beginning of a new era in fashion experiences.
Angelo Ruggeri
Journalist and Master, Styling, Business, Design Courses Tutor, Milan