Why The Luxury Hospitality Industry is Retail’s Latest Flex
Whileluxury fashion houses like Chanel and Dior have been operating seasonal popup stores for over a decade, the concept has, of late, evolved into more experiential partnerships with the hospitality industry.
This summer Jacquemus partnered with the Four Seasons Ocean Club in the Bahamas, staged a takeover of Saint Tropez’s La Renaissance brasserie and teamed up with the nearby Indie Beach Club for a second season. Valentino also joined forces with Palazzo Avino hotel and beach club on Italy’s Amalfi Coast last year. In addition to venue decor, souvenir merchandise unavailable elsewhere is also part of the offering.
Sushi Club, a series of limited edition, location centric merchandise drops linked to Nobu properties worldwide, was ahead of the curve. The partnership between Nobu Matsuhisa and luxury streetwear designer Chris Stamp debuted in 2021 at Nobu Beverley Hills—the original Nobu restaurant that opened in 1987— with a sellout run of T-shirts and caps followed by similar at a slew of Nobu venues including Miami, Aspen and London. It has just released its nineteenth capsule at Nobu Ibiza Bay.\
Collections drop first at the location in question and then online where they can sell out in a matter of hours. Each includes a core collection plus city exclusives in terms of colorways and details. For Ibiza Bay the feature color is “Miel” yellow and pieces also incorporate an embroidered Bandera d’Eivissa—the Ibiza flag.
