Want To Be a Hip Hotel? Launch a Clothing Line
When Starwood's W Hotels decided it would sell non-hotel items, such as flash drives and cuff links, the hotel chain cemented its status as the hip, progressive brand. Now W is going a step further with a whole new product offering: a clothing and jewelry line.
The new line, called Global Glam, will be designed by 34 new and established designers and inspired by new W properties in downtown Manhattan; South Beach, Miami; Santiago, Chile; Hong Kong; and Istanbul. Apparel and accessories will range from $50 to $500, with two collections released each year.
W officially launched Global Glam on Sept. 10 in conjunction with New York's Fashion's Night Out, a night of festivities that kicked off the latest fashion week. Some of the line's designers, which include Foley + Corinna, Lauren Merkin and David Aubrey, made appearances at W Times Square and W New York. What better way to create buzz for your brand than to insinuate yourself into the biggest fashion event in the United States?
This isn't the first time we've seen W use fashion to up its cool factor. The hotel company previously hired popular music star Gwen Stefani to design hotel uniforms. Starwood has actually done something similar with other brands, namely Sheraton, whose Salobre Golf Resort & Spa in Spain has offered a package deal with La Perla, a high-end swimsuit and lingerie company. And other hotels have since used fashion to give their brands credibility: Hyatt's Andaz outfits its employees in hip designs by Los Angeles-based designers, and ACE Hotel NYC has teamed up with Converse to design sneakers exclusively for the hotel's employees. Even the Wyndham Orange County Hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif., is holding a fashion exhibit.
While fashion brands -- Missoni, Moschino, Armani, Versace -- have been known to start their own hotels, that road hasn't necessarily been traveled in the other direction. W's move into the world of fashion could make it ever hipper than it already is. Then again, are consumers going to make their local W a shopping destination? Only time will tell.