Do fashion designers really make good interior designers? It sure looks that way. This trend has many hotels calling on iconic couture designers to help them create over-the-top accommodations that speak to the eccentric and well heeled—and the competition is fierce. Hotels are now having to compete with a growing group of designers who are creating their own hotel brands—or at least lending their names to one. Hotel Missoni, Palazzo Versace, Armani Hotels, and Bulgari Hotels and Resorts come to mind.
Besides providing a name, many of these designers had a hand in designing interiors and furniture as part of their venture. Palazzo Versace (Dubai) features interiors and furniture designed by Donatella Versace, and Diane von Furstenberg designed The Grand Piano Suite in London's Claridge's Hotel. The St. Regis Hotel in New York features a Dior Suite and a Bottega Veneta Suite, and guests of the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate in London can check into the Sabyasachi Mukherjee-designed Cinema Suite.
So why the sudden interest in the hotel biz? Well, according to MarketWatch, “there's a simple reason some of the world's snootiest companies are getting into the business of changing sheets and making wake-up calls: the economy. When the hospitality industry is booming, say experts, new brands tend to spring up, hoping to cater to an untapped niche. Still, standing out from the crowd has gotten tougher.” More than 27 new hotel brands have been announced since 2005 and “some say that teaming up with a luxury company can provide a rare competitive edge to both sides. The brand that puts its name on the stationary gets to expand its reach, while its lodging-company partner gets a fresh tool to tempt luxury travelers.”
Karl Lagerfeld is a different story. The iconic designer developed a “concept” for The Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo. According to Karl.com, “the new concept, ODYSSEY, features a new swimming pool with a stunning fresco-style installation made up of 15 glass panels portraying Ulysses’ journey, gardens, and Joël Robuchon’s third restaurant within the hotel.” And as mentioned earlier, a number of designers have created suites for a variety of luxury hotels. While these types of partnerships ultimately translate to more exposure for these already famous designers as well, we’re guessing that they do it simply for the love of design.
So what does this mean for tomorrow’s fashion designers today? Adding interior design to your degree plan could open plenty of doors as this design trend continues to grow. Further, having expertise in both areas could boost your salary, especially as you work your way up. The highest paid interior designers average more than $91,360 per year and the median pay for fashion designers is $63,670, with top designers averaging more than $125,270 per year.
Fortunately, a number of top fashion schools recognize the trend and offer opportunities to enroll in a program or programs that cover both areas. For example, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) offers a double major in fashion and interior design, while Parsons School of Design (New York) offers AAS, BFA, and MFA degrees in both fashion and interior design along with a minor in fashion studies. Besides SCAD and Parsons, the following top design schools offer fashion and interior design programs:
- Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) (New York, NY)
- Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, New York)
- Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), Los Angeles, Irving, San Francisco, San Diego, CA
- Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
- Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), (Providence, RI)
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), (Chicago, IL)
- Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), Boston, MA
- California College of the Arts (CCA), Oakland, San Francisco, CA
Please note that many other schools, both traditional colleges and universities and art and design schools, offer competitive fashion design and interior design programs. Be sure to research all options before choosing a program.
Sources
Farrow, Boyd. "Rise of the Haute Hotels." Hemispheres Magazine Apr. 2016: 57-58. Web. Apr. 2016.
"Fashion Designer Hotels." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 2016. Web. 12 June 2016.
"Fashion House Checks out of Missoni Hotel." Edinburgh News. Johnson Publishing, Ltd., 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 June 2016.
"Odyssey, Metropole Hotel Space Designed by Karl Lagerfeld - Karl Lagerfeld." Karl Lagerfeld. Karl & Co., 03 May 2013. Web. 12 June 2016.
"Summary – Fashion Designers." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 12 June 2016.
"Summary - Interior Designers." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 12 June 2016.
Wischhover, Cheryl. "The Top 20 Fashion Schools in the US: The Fashionista Ranking." Fashionista. Breaking Media, Inc., 11 July 2011. Web. 12 June 2016.
