The Brief
L’oscar has taken an historic Arts and Crafts building – a former Baptist church – and transformed it into a distinctive, opulent hotel in the heart of London. Acclaimed French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia stayed true to the building’s heritage, seamlessly blending existing features with a fresh modern sensibility. The result is sumptuous, seductive – and truly individual. Fashionizer was invited to create a full bespoke uniform programme for the opening of the hotel.
L’oscar is a unique hotel proposition and required a similarly innovative approach to its luxury uniforms. Taking the stylish elegance of couture as a starting point, L’oscar management sought to redefine the way uniforms were worn by creating a collection of garments that staff could choose to wear in different combinations, rather than the traditional hierarchical approach of a set style for each role.
Fashionizer’s Award-Winning Solution
Fashionizer provided each member of staff at L’oscar with a collection of complementary ‘looks’, which could be combined with each other on any given day, thus reflecting their personal style and mood. Female staff were offered skater skirts, slim trousers, fitted jackets, blouses and elegant dresses, while the range for male staff included tailored jackets, waistcoats and slim-fit black trousers.
Lustrous silks and plush velvets were used in this collection of high-end staff uniforms to complement the glamour and sensory appeal of the hotel. Bespoke fabrics were designed exclusively for the project, and included satins, jacquards and chiffons in deep shades of purple, aubergine and metallics. Accessories were made to order: silk twist fabric and copper leather belts and oval silver cufflinks echoing the hotel’s interior details, with the hotel’s motif — a single feather — represented in pins. Even the housekeeping uniforms reflect the originality of the hotel, with fashion-forward but practical jumpsuits with distinctive front zips.
The Outcome
Following the hotel’s opening, the uniqueness of this uniform collection was recognised by the Corporate Clothing Awards 2017. Fashionizer scooped both ‘Best Managed Boutique Contract’ and ‘Best Uniform Design‘ for the distinctive range of garments developed using luxurious and unconventional fabrics for L’oscar — and for the collection approach enabling staff to choose their own preferred garments and combinations daily.
