St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

One of London’s most iconic landmarks, the St Pancras building, with its fairy-tale façade, was designed by celebrated architect Sir George Gilbert Scott as the Midland Grand Hotel. Now it has been transformed into a luxury five-star London hotel like no other, and Fashionizer created the uniforms for its opening. The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel unites Victorian splendour with contemporary style. One of London’s most iconic landmarks, the St Pancras building was designed by celebrated architect Sir George Gilbert Scott as the Midland Grand Hotel — a palatial gateway for Victorian railway travellers arriving at the heart of the city. After decades of dormancy the building was transformed into the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Fashionizer was honoured to create the uniforms for its opening in 2011.

Today, the hotel sits at the threshold of St Pancras International, London’s terminus for Eurostar services to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, its fairy-tale Gothic façade now welcoming a new generation of international travellers. The uniform brief was to unite the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel with its Victorian splendour. The brief called for uniforms that reflect Marriott’s modern operational standards whilst evoking, for every arriving guest, that very particular sense of arrival.

Even though this was Fashionizer’s 32nd new opening, the responsibility to make an impact for this unique property was considerable. The design process began with deep historical research. Geometric images from the original flooring tiles inspired the jacquard patterns on the ties; Barlow Blue — a colour named after the designer of the original St Pancras station — referenced the steel blue girders throughout.

English wool in a specially woven herringbone was selected for the suits, with rich browns chosen to complement the intricate wooden panelling. The door staff and porters’ uniforms were built around specially commissioned ‘Midland Railway dragon’ gold buttons, traditional collars and deep cuffs with bespoke cufflinks. The tight lead times for weaving the many bespoke fabrics added considerable complexity — but the attention to detail never wavered.

An iconic building needs uniforms that make a statement. The finished collection took a new approach to the hotel’s Victorian heritage, combining past and present — from the herringbone suits and Barlow Blue palette to the Midland Railway dragon buttons, with a gold pocket watch and brown bowler hat delivering the final London touch. All uniforms were delivered on time and to budget, to great critical acclaim from management, staff and press.

The impact was immediate: LVMH selected the doorman’s uniform as the backdrop for a fashion shoot for their luggage collection, and the porter uniforms were singled out for praise in The Sunday Times.