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Courtesy Cali Mykonos

It took me a minute to find the entrance to Sushi Park at the flagship location of Saint Laurent in Paris, along Rue Saint-Honoré. Dark and unassuming, it looked more like the staff entry to the store than a gateway to an upscale Japanese restaurant. But then an elegant hostess clad in a little black dress led me down a dimly lit flight of stairs to an omakase restaurant done in dark woods and clean lines, dimly lit by light fixtures in abstract shapes. The space was minimalist, buzzing with an army of servers all dressed in casual-smart Saint Laurent. Ten first-rate courses of nigiri unfolded at a comfortable pace, as the chefs and servers moved in perfect harmony to feed a style-conscious crowd. It was a dining experience that rivaled a meal at any of the most coveted Parisian restaurants—and yet an addition to the Saint Laurent brand that I initially found to be entirely unnecessary. So why did they do it?

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The crossover of luxury fashion houses into the hospitality realm is nothing new. In the 1970s and ’80s, Elio Fiorucci’s New York City flagship store was described as a “daytime Studio 54,” a hub for fashion, art, and social interaction where a coffee counter and bar were a highlight (also, Andy Warhol had free office space there). In 1995, supermodels Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer launched the bygone Fashion Cafe at Rockefeller Plaza. Palazzo Versace, located on Australia’s Gold Coast, was the first hotel branded after a fashion designer when it opened in 2000.

Sushi Park restaurant at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite Store on rue Saint Honore in Paris, France - Photo ©Kristen Pelou

A meal at Sushi Park rivaled an evening at any of the most coveted Parisian restaurantsKristen Pelou/Sushi Park

Sushi Park restaurant at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite Store on rue Saint Honore in Paris, France - Photo ©Kristen Pelou

At the minimalist Sushi Park restaurant, servers are all dressed in casual-smart Saint Laurent.Kristen Pelou/Sushi Park

In the decades since, designer labels have claimed more and more enduring spaces in the worlds of food, hospitality, and travel. Gucci Osteria, a collaboration with star chef Massimo Bottura, opened in Florence in 2018 and expanded to four outposts across three continents. Louis Vuitton launched a glamorous, fully-branded lounge-within-a-lounge at Doha International Airport in 2022. Dior now has two branded spas in Paris and has opened a wellness retreat on the French Riviera. This year already, in 2025, Saint Laurent imported Sushi Park from Los Angeles to Paris; Prada engaged the Hong Kongese filmmaker Wong Kar-wai in the design of its brand new Mi Shang restaurant in Shanghai.

That's all without including the limited-edition collaborations between fashion brands and hotels that come and go with the seasons. Burberry has been taking up residence at The Newt in Somerset this summer; Lacoste has installed itself at the Shangri-la Paris until October; a new Missoni Resort Club has popped up in Cali Mykonos in Greece. The point remains: This trend is not totally new—and yet seems to be reaching a zenith.

The proposition is simple enough: Create a brand destination for everyone, whether locals or tourists, to visit. These built spaces bring to life a highly-curated world that exemplifies the brand—the slinky chicness of Saint Laurent’s Sushi Park, the iconic heritage of Tiffany's at the Blue Box Cafe in London, Ralph Lauren’s Americana at the long-standing Polo Bar in New York City. Sure, they give designer devotees a reason to visit and shop at the adjoining boutiques. But for guests to even just linger and gather nearby, soaking up the brand’s aura, is a win for their marketing teams. It cultivates a relationship between the label and a potential customer. And while not everyone has the budget for a $6,000 Louis Vuitton mini Capucines bag, a trip to the Louis Vuitton Café for a hot chocolate ($11) or an eclair ($14) is—comparatively—more accessible. These products come with the LV logo too, easily captured and posted on social media, amplifying the brand’s voice and reach. Small swag items that brand fans can purchase, from Saint Laurent stamped lighters to Dior water bottles, serve a similar purpose.

The most in-demand fashion houses blend high standards with artistic creativity; such is the case at the Gucci Osteria in Florence.Courtesy Gucci Osteria

Beyond, brand allegiance or fandom, is there any other reason to visit these places? I love a well-made latte, so I was a regular of Ralph’s Coffee in New York, first at its camper van at Rockefeller Center, then making pit stops at the flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Sharp branding, well-trained staff, and a consistent product led me to return over and over. I can say the same for lunch at Monsieur Dior, a wonderfully posh restaurant inside the fashion house's store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, where I enjoyed a meal including a dirty martini and chocolate tart that would have made the self-proclaimed gourmand Christian Dior proud.

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At the Gucci Osteria in Florence, inside a beautiful jewel‑box space, I had a leisurely paced lunch that included the Parmigiano tortellini, a staple of star chef Massimo Bottura’s Emilia-Romagna cuisine; the Emilia burger, originally a product of the chef's collaboration with Shake Shack; and a pork-belly filled brioche bun, a dish by Japanese chef Taka Kondo, who has helmed the restaurant since opening day. At the sister location in Beverly Hills, perched on top of the Gucci flagship on Rodeo Drive, cherry‑red velvet banquettes and star‑spangled ceilings dominate the space. It was so different from Florence, with a Gucci-stamped old Hollywood feel. Seated on a terrace decked in Italian marble mosaic flooring, I had the insalata mare, a seafood appetizer; and the “risotto camouflaged as pizza,” a Bottura classic, in which rice is cooked with fragrant tomato water. Here on a plate were the same commitment to high standards and artistic creativity as found in the fashion Gucci produces. And now I got to be a part of it all.

The French sportswear label Lacoste has installed itself at the Shangri-la Paris until October.Charlotte Abbeys/Shangri-la ParisMissoni has created a pop-up beach club Cali Mykonos in Greece, with textiles in the house's signature patterns.Courtesy Cali Mykonos

As I visited more of these fashion-in-hospitality establishments, my travel habits began to shift. In Seoul and Tokyo, I actively sought out the Gucci Osterias; in Doha or Hong Kong, I kept my eyes peeled for a Ralph's; I hunted for that Dior chocolate tart anywhere I could. Why? In my opinion, I've found that these places are selling not only the brand but also a certain high standard. Inside these spaces, there's the same devotion to all things well-made, whether a latte or a scallop salad, that goes into high-end couture.

True, they are living and breathing advertisements selling an aspirational lifestyle—and high fashion has always been about aspiration. The same could be said of travel. It's a partnership that has endured and will continue to endure. This decades-long tend is reaching critical mass, and most will come and go. But as with institutions like Polo Bar and Bulgari Hotels and Vuitton's cafés, time will prove to be the final judge of these collaborations' success. A pair of Gucci loafers will last generations. I think Bottura's burgers at the Osterias will as well.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

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