ONE TREE, MANY TRUNKS: Claridge’s has unveiled its Christmas tree, a sculpture made from Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunks that stands 17 feet tall in the hotel’s lobby.
The tree is composed of 15 chrome, repurposed trunks of varying heights that have been stacked to create the silhouette of a traditional Christmas tree, and styled to reflect the hotel’s Art Deco architecture.
The sculpture has been set inside two huge trunks stacked on top of each other. Each one is adorned with vintage Claridge’s travel stickers and an oversize Louis Vuitton luggage tag.
At the top of the tree is a model of Asnières , the Louis Vuitton family home and atelier in a northern suburb of Paris. Scattered across the silvery trunks and amid the snowy landscape of the tree there are 21 figurines, including one of Father Christmas.
Claridge’s general manager Paul Jackson said “Christmas is the most magical time for us here at the hotel, and we look forward to welcoming guests and seeing visitors immerse themselves in Louis Vuitton’s world.”
The hotel and the brand have much in common. Both 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.
This is the 13th year that Claridge’s has invited a top fashion house or designer to reinterpret the tree in its own distinctive style.
Last year, Jimmy Choo ’s creative director Sandra Choi designed the festive tree, which she called The Diamond, a nod to the brand’s twinkling accessories.
In 2021, the hotel invited Dior’s Kim Jones to design the tree, and he paid tribute to craftsmanship and couture.