German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is accustomed to turning his creative hand to hotels; last year he redesigned the exterior of the Hotel M?tropole in Monte-Carlo and previous to that?he brought to life a suite entirely made out of chocolate.
Now, the Chanel creative director has been approached by the storied H?tel de Crillon, the five-star landmark overlooking the Place de la Concorde in central Paris.
The luxury hotel, originally commissioned by King Louis XV in 1758 as two palaces, opened as a hotel in 1909. It was bought by Saudi Prince Mitab ben Abdallah Ben abd Al-Aziz al Saoud in 2010 and closed in 2013 for a major renovation. It is set to reopen in 2015.
WWD?report how Lagerfeld has been invited to design two of its most prestigious suites, which he views as “grand apartments”.
“No one understands Paris or the heritage of the Crillon better than Mr. Lagerfeld,” said Radha Arora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
Indeed, Lagerfeld’s Haute Couture creations are often the pick of the debutantes who are lucky enough to be invited to the annual ‘Bal des Debutantes’ attended by European aristocrats, Hollywood royalty and the international elite.
The renovation project of the Crillon is being overseen by architect Richard Martinet with interiors by decorators Chahan Minassian, Cyril Vergniol and Tristan Auer under the artistic direction of Aline d’Amman.