From John Galliano to Paul Smith, Designers Who’ve Created Christmas Trees at Claridge’s
LONDON — For 15 years, Claridge’s hotel in London has given Christmas a fashionable spin, tapping designers from around the globe to decorate the soaring tree in its art deco foyer.
Since 2009, the storied hotel has partnered with designers and brands including Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton, John Galliano and Christopher Bailey. Most recently, Paul Smith reimagined the tree as a kooky collection of bird houses. Below, WWD highlights some of the most spectacular Claridge’s trees over the years.
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John Galliano for Dior, 2009
John Galliano, the first fashion designer to create a Christmas tree for Claridge’s, went wild, adding a snow leopard, dragonflies and parrots to his tropical tree. The designer returned the following year to dream up another tree for the hotel, this time taking inspiration from life under the sea.
Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, 2011
Lanvin’s then-artistic director Alber Elbaz got personal, adding a silk figurine of himself to the top of his tree.
“The first thing I wanted to do is not change too much of the tree, I wanted to keep that tradition. I think that is the best thing about holidays…is that they don’t change,” said Elbaz. In keeping, the tree was trimmed in glittering ornaments, reindeer, and miniature blue Lanvin boxes tied with ribbons. The designer also created a tableau of Lanvin-clad mannequins — some of them dressed as Claridge’s housekeeping and concierge staff — lounging at the foot of the tree.
Christopher Bailey for Burberry, 2015
Christopher Bailey went high-shine for his 2015 Christmas tree. Winking to Burberry’s rainwear heritage, the tree was made from nearly 100 gold and silver umbrellas. “We wanted the tree to reflect the playfulness of the season with a little bit of the English weather thrown in,” Bailey said.
“We also love the idea that the tree comes to life as guests pass by, bringing a wonderful touch of festive magic to their stay,” added the designer. As guests walked by, 77,000 individual lights were triggered, sending twinkling beams into the lobby of the London hotel.
Karl Lagerfeld, 2017
Karl Lagerfeld turned his Christmas tree on its head — literally. “Christmas trees are the strongest ‘souvenir’ of my happy childhood,” said Lagerfeld, who was born in Hamburg, Germany. The designer’s topsy-turvy tree was placed on sheepskin rugs, meant to recall fallen snow, while its silver roots faced the ceiling.
Christian Louboutin, 2019
Red soles became red baubles when Christian Louboutin daubed Claridge’s in his signature color. For Louboutin, the collaboration was a no-brainer: “I like London, but without Claridge’s I wouldn’t feel at home here,” said the designer, who wore a red suit to the tree’s unveiling party. There was a red velvet train parked next to his ceiling-scraping tree, where guests could book private dining experiences.
Kim Jones for Dior, 2021
In 2021, Dior’s Kim Jones became the first designer, post-lockdown, to decorate the Claridge’s tree. Named “The Celestial Snow Globe,” the futuristic tree featured Christmas baubles that recalled Dior emblems.
Instead of a traditional star, Kim Jones’ canine companion, Cookie, hugged Monsieur Christian Dior’s lucky star. “It is a great honor for me to design the Christmas tree for Claridge’s and thus bring Dior, London and the Christmas spirit together in this iconic place,” said Jones, who staged his pre-fall fashion show in the British capital shortly after the tree’s unveiling.
Sandra Choi for Jimmy Choo, 2022
Named “The Diamond,” Sandra Choi’s tree was full of sparkle and shine. Set designer Simon Costin brought to life the animated tree, which was over 5 meters tall and took more than 350 hours to construct. Rather than a star, a double knotted pink bow topped the tree. “The bow was a symbol of bringing things together and this united ceremony is what I wanted to portray,” Choi told WWD on the morning of the tree’s big unveiling.
Louis Vuitton, 2023
Not surprisingly, Louis Vuitton’s tree featured plenty of trunks. The French luxury brand stacked 15 chrome, repurposed trunks of varying heights to create the silhouette of a traditional Christmas tree inside two larger portmanteaus. Both the hotel and the brand were founded in 1854, and had strong ties to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. Monsieur Louis Vuitton was the personal “layetier” to the Empress, the man responsible for creating her arsenal of luggage, and packing the bags. The French royal made Claridge’s her winter residence, and she received so many visits from Queen Victoria that the hotel came to be known as the “annex” to Buckingham Palace.
Paul Smith, 2024
Paul Smith’s Christmas tree might’ve been laden with bird houses, but it was far from cuckoo. The designer said he chose the bird house as his theme because it’s “friendly, optimistic and a symbol of home,” reflecting the spirit of the hotel. The 100 bespoke bird houses, made by British architect Nik Ramage, featured playful Smith twists, including roofs decorated with playing cards, postage stamps and dice.
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