WHERE FASHION SLEEPS

The spirit of couture enjoys a lie-in at hotels styled and operated by heritage maisons,

- GEORGIA CONDON

SINCE 2023, 103 AVENUE DES CHAMPS-Élysées has been shrouded under the world's fanciest tarpaulin, made to resemble a huge, monogrammed trunk - that enduring symbol of luxury travel. Paris has always been the most chic city in the world, but next year it's set to raise the bar again when the first Louis Vuitton hotel emerges from its cocoon.

As a certain category of consumers chooses to chase experiences over products, the convergence of fashion and travel offers a chance to live leading maisons' aesthetic, ethos and extravagance - even if the bags arrive with you, instead of leaving gift-wrapped.

Some brands have settled in for the long haul, while others up the exclusivity with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it philosophy. This year, Dolce & Gabbana had a poolside presence at San Domenico Palace, A Four Seasons Hotel, Taormina (where The White Lotus was set); the Jacquemus Beach Club took over the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel; and the Missoni Resort Club, which has jet-setted around One&Only and The Ritz-Carlton properties, landed at Cali Mykonos.

While they aren't yours to keep, hotel experiences offer the ultimate immersion in fashion - a real-world execution of what luxury means to that brand. They're just accessed through a different kind of runway. Here are some of the finest examples.

Bulgari