Fashionable Christmas Trees Are Popping Up Everywhere
From restaurants to hotels and Burberry to Charles Jeffrey, here are the most fashionable festive ferns.
Gaudy, tacky, kitsch? At any other time of year, a wildly decorated, brightly lit tree would be considered all of the aforementioned, but in December, taste is defined by a totally different set of parameters. Childhood joy and festive spirit take over, and the bauble-clad ferns are embraced across cities.
Luxury hotels have been the main culprit, often collaborating with artists and designers to display trees in their lobbies that put the four-foot one in your living room to shame. Here we have rounded up some of our favorites so far that by no means fit under the ‘tacky’ label. Get ready to visit some fashionable trees this Christmas.
Dishoom
Neesha Champaneria
This year, London restaurant Dishoom is joining forces with Diet Paratha, a globally trusted voice for South Asian culture, to curate an artist-led celebration of the festive season. The event reimagines Christmas through the lens of South Asian talent and craftsmanship. Three talents were commissioned to bring their own heritage and aesthetic into the Dishoom world, through the creation of bespoke Christmas tree installations. Included in the lineup are luxury fashion house Kartik Research, designer Dhruv Bandil and stylist Neesha Tulsi Champaneria.
Susan Fang
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Also unveiled this year is a tree at The Londoner hotel, created in collaboration with fashion designer Susan Fang. Aptly titled “The Crystal Dream Christmas Tree,” it is a breathtaking, all-white installation adorned with transparent spheres and 3D-printed flowers, a signature motif of the designer. Inspired by nature, light and ethereal forms, it transforms the hotel’s lobby into a winter fantasy.
Burberry
Claridge’s hotel in London features a new designer collaboration each year for its tree, a highly anticipated unveiling. This year, Burberry’s creative director, Daniel Lee, was chosen. The 16-foot tree is covered with bows made from surplus Burberry fabrics, with wild foliage and thistle accents, Scotland’s national flower, as a nod to the brand’s connection to the Highlands. The tree also features hanging brass bells inspired by Burberry’s Equestrian Knight Design and baubles handmade by a British glassblower. At the top of the tree, you’ll find an appropriately regal golden crown, while the base of the tree is surrounded by large floor-standing chess pieces. A festive landmark for Londoners and visitors alike, the Claridge’s tree never disappoints.
Shane Keeling
This is set to be one of London’s most unconventional Christmas trees. Landing at the art’otel London Hoxton, the MAS-X.3 tree is a nine-foot sculpture of shattered porcelain toys by artist Shane Keeling. The hotel is redefining what it means to deck the halls, straying from the traditional evergreen and baubles. An internal glow illuminates the fragments, while a bright yellow orb crowns the top, serving as an unexpected ‘star.’ Keeling shared, “My intention is to redefine what a Christmas tree could be through the fragmentation and reconstruction of consumerist products associated with the holidays.” The design-first hotel brings art gallery sensibilities to its guest experience, so the MAS-X.3 makes total sense.
Charles Jeffrey
One Hundred Shoreditch is unveiling its Mr. Charles Jeffrey Christmas Tree on November 27. While the design is still tightly under wraps, expect bright colors, playful motifs and plenty of festive vibes. Last year, the hotel’s lobby hosted the “Drag Christmas Tree” designed by floral artist Yan Skates and “dragged up” by queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. This is bound to be one of the more unexpected trees.
In other news, check out this Wes Anderson retrospective exhibition in London.
