Cover The Hall by Louis Vuitton in Chengdu, China (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
The Hall by Louis Vuitton in Chengdu, China (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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Louis Vuitton's Le Café V and Gucci Osteria—what’s next?
Have you noticed the latest phenomenon? Fashion brands from Gucci and Louis Vuitton to Dior and Ralph Lauren have been diversifying into gastronomy, from fine dining establishments to casual cafés. While this is not entirely new—Giorgio Armani opened the first London-based Emporio Armani Caffe in the 1989 and dishes at Jean Imbert’s Monsieur Dior are from Christian Dior’s 1972 cookbook, La Cuisine Cousu-Main—the merging of fashion and food in recent years has reached a new level. Most recently, Louis Vuitton opened The Hall in Chengdu, China, in the historical building Guangdong Hall.
Food is becoming an increasingly exclusive commodity, with sought-after Michelin stars and year-long waiting lists at restaurants becoming commonplace. Being seen at invite-only establishments and experiencing the unattainable have become the ultimate status symbol, perhaps more important to some than the meal itself.
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Lining up for hours to enter fashion houses, limiting customers’ purchases to less than three items, or the hype around a streetwear drop can be likened to waiting outside a restaurant for a table or months-long reservation lists.
One such example of an exclusive establishment is Sugalabo V, the first restaurant to be housed in Louis Vuitton's store in Osaka. There is a secret entrance to the establishment via Le Café V at Maison Osaka Midosuji, and each seating can only accommodate a small handful of guests.
Strong parallels can be drawn between dining and apparel. Both are immersive experiences, and it makes sense for fashion brands to strive to define other facets of a customer's lifestyle, instead of just appearance. Brands explore dining uniquely based on the experience being sold.
For instance, Ralph’s Coffee by Ralph Lauren represents the American spirit of the US fashion brand, visualised in the hunter-green striped wallpaper and coffee cups. Meanwhile, Anya Cafe by Anya Hindmarch boasts whimsical tea-time treats decorated with googly eyes and smiley faces, a playful and quirky twist on the traditional British pastime.
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While diversifying into dining can bring a new dimension to fashion brands, it is key that gastronomy is approached in a way that upholds the original brand’s position. If the dining establishment is not on par in terms of quality, this may cheapen the fashion brand, dragging a once unattainable experience into the world of common commodities.
However, when done right, the restaurant may even work to heighten the luxury aspect of the fashion house.
Gucci Osteria in Florence is one such example. Helmed by Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri and the renowned chef Massimo Bottura, the restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2019.
Exquisite tasting menus are served in a dining room that breathes Gucci—walls are draped in Gucci wallpaper and dishes are served on Gucci tableware and eaten with custom-made crockery. In this case, fashion and food work in tandem and stand on equal ground.
Another successful collaboration is between Chanel and French-born Alain Ducasse, one of the world’s most decorated chefs. Housed in the Chanel Ginza building in Tokyo and helmed by Ducasse’s former right hand man, Kei Kojima, Beige Alain Ducasse boasts fine French cuisine with Japanese influences.
What will we see next? As the lines between art, fashion and food blur, perhaps this will take us into a new age of gastronomy, where all three merge as one.
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
