The Project

The Prince Akatoki, a stunning 5-star hotel near London’s Marble Arch, fuses a tranquil Japanese aesthetic with a sophisticated western sensibility, creating a one-of-a-kind urban sanctuary. The word Akatoki, meaning ‘dawn’ in Japanese, seeks to convey the tranquillity and opportunity that each new day brings. Serenity and mindfulness are the watchwords; facilities include a refined Japanese inspired destination restaurant and 82 exquisitely designed rooms and suites. A place for guests to relax, recharge and replenish.

The Fashionizer team was approached to design and develop the bespoke staff uniform concept as part of the new global brand image for StayWell Holdings group, and its parent company Prince Hotels Inc., with The Prince Akatoki London being the first to open. Fashionizer therefore conceived of a versatile global design concept which expresses the brand’s core identity yet can be easily modified to be appropriate to different international locations as they open.

The short timeline of the project required a tight critical path for design and approvals, without compromise of the quality and integrity of the brief. It was important that the designs embodied the brand’s principles, focusing on a minimal, considered aesthetic reflecting Japanese cultural traditions.

Fashionizer’s Solution  

The Fashionizer team applied meticulous attention to detail in the design of the uniform concept; selecting high quality fabrics dyed in subtle colours. Clean lines and a sophisticated elegance shaped their approach, achieving a harmonious blend of Japanese detailing on a uniform which still feels at home in Europe.

The brand’s signature colour, ‘dawn’, is a delicate cherry-blossom pink, redolent of the early morning sky, and is used as an accent detail throughout these hospitality uniforms at The Prince Akatoki. The management and concierge team wear blue-grey suits with ‘dawn’ coloured ties and pocket squares, with female staff in complimentary blue-grey dresses with unique high collars, with an inner neck trim and belt in the brand’s signature pink. The front of house team’s outfits consists of a  stone-coloured suit, with female staff accessorising with an ombre pink silk twill scarf. These luxurious uniforms are made of 100% superfine wool in front of house a durable and multi-season appropriate fabric.

In the Japanese-inspired restaurant, TOKii, as well as The Malt Lounge, hostesses are dressed in an origami inspired asymmetrical off-the-shoulder blue-grey cotton dress with a contrasting “dawn” neck trim. The waiters wear stone asymmetrical placket shirts. The food and beverage uniforms are designed for style and practicality, the natural fibre elastane blend affording ease of movement and employee comfort.

Winner of the Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Star Awards