In our day and age, no longer is a fashion designer just a fashion designer – instead, industry icons from Armani to Rykiel are tackling significantly meatier canvases: hotels and interiors.
Take the quirky Hôtel du Continent, completely revamped under the deft hand and sketchbook of couturier Christian Lacroix. Though it’s not this flamboyant designer’s first décor venture in the City of Lights (he’s got a trio of whimsical flopspots already to his credit), it is arguably his chef d’oeuvre in avant-garde interiors. Right this way, s‘il vous plaît…
True to Lacroix form, the hotel boasts bold themes conceptualised with the seasoned traveller in mind, and a floor to match each of the six continents. Book into an Oceania suite, and you’ll find tropical leaf and bird motifs melded with canary yellows and tribal prints, while European rooms feature heavy shimmering brocade curtains, and African chambers come papered with old-world maps and animal print accents. All suites have complimentary WiFi, iHomes, flat screens, and, not-to-be-outdid, Missoni provided the glam toiletries…
Though this itty bitty hotel isn’t winning in the way of amenities and extras, she sits very pretty on rue du Mont-Thabor (which runs parallel to shopportunistic Saint-Honoré and Rivoli), is but a stiletto’s skip from sights like the Tuileries and Place Vendôme, and simply can’t be beat for couture character!
Hotel du Continent, 30 rue du Mont-Thabor, Paris. +33 1 42 60 75 32, hotelcontinent.com
