The Brief
One of London’s most anticipated openings in recent years, the refurbished Belmond Cadogan sits at the crossroads of two famous neighbourhoods, where the exclusivity of Knightsbridge meets the artistic spirit of Chelsea. Originally built in 1887, this quintessential London landmark witnessed the arrest of Oscar Wilde and was home to Lillie Langtry, celebrated actress and mistress to the Prince of Wales.
Opening its doors in early 2019, the hotel’s renovation carefully preserved its heritage whilst instilling a modern-day relevance. Its 54 rooms and suites create a stylish retreat for guests, with access to one of London’s most exclusive secret gardens. This was Fashionizer’s first collaboration with Belmond, and the brief was to ensure that the bespoke hotel uniforms paid homage to its history, and its location, whilst bringing a fashionable modern unique approach.
Fashionizer's Uniform Solution
Fashionizer drew on influences gleaned from the hotel, its gardens, and the fashionable London milieu to design the range of luxury staff uniforms. Charming three-button jackets with narrow collars evoke the sharply tailored looks of 1960s Chelsea, whilst the bold checked waistcoats recall the tartan made famous by the punks who congregated on the King’s Road in the seventies. The doormen’s uniforms in bright fire-engine red make a striking impression on Sloane Street, and are a nod to the similarly coloured coats of the Chelsea Pensioners.
The food and beverage uniforms were designed in dark blue and beige to coordinate with the interiors and a modern British style. The wildflower motif on a light grey background for housekeeping dresses, and deep red roses for the front of house dresses — both bespoke prints — were conceived by Fashionizer and inspired by the hotel’s secret garden. Throughout the range, high quality fabrics sourced from premium European mills were used to create the finely tailored garments.
The Outcome
The Belmond Cadogan uniforms have stood the test of time – a testament to the creative vision behind the original designs. Since the original collection originally designed in 2018, the range has evolved to include some summer versions of the uniforms for the front of house team and a new, more casual concept for F&B. The doormen’s fire-engine red coats have become something of a Sloane Street landmark in their own right, attracting visitors and regularly appearing on social media. The collection has been praised by the hotel staff for the quality and comfort of the uniforms and by the management for the attentive service behind them.
