The interior design of Haute Couture

Last month, the first Casa Loewe was inaugurated in the trendy Gangnam district of Seoul, the cosmopolitan capital of South Korea. The occasion was celebrated with a cocktail party at the new store, where guests were entertained by performances from Silica Gel and Rain, and where notable brand ambassadors Greta Lee and Taylor Russell were also present. The new Loewe space, in addition to featuring prêt-à-porter collections and accessories for both women’s and men’s wardrobes from the brand’s latest collections, also stands out for its inclusion of exclusive home decor items. The Spanish brand thus joins the list of major fashion houses that have embraced the home decor sector in recent years, demonstrating how the line between fashion and interior design is very thin. The sector has experienced significant expansion, especially since the pandemic, when attention to domestic spaces became a priority for many: with the increase in online meetings and webcam use, the distinction between private and public spaces blurred. The market is now increasingly complex, influenced by lifestyle trends and consequently subject to rapid production changes. Alongside the interior design boom, the phenomenon of Fast Deco emerged, similar to Fast Fashion, indicating the production of low-cost, low-quality furniture, quickly purchased and discarded. According to a study published in the French newspaper Les Echos, the phenomenon saw an 88% increase in traffic between 2017 and 2022. The same has happened with furniture waste, with numbers doubling between 2014 and 2020. Today, according to some environmental associations, there are 1.3 million tons of waste in the furniture sector alone. But not all developments are negative. High fashion houses have succeeded in bringing luxury from the runways to consumers' homes, sometimes also promoting conscious attitudes that care for the environment and encouraging collaborations with small artisanal businesses. 

Historically, one of the first fashion houses to embrace the world of home decor was the Italian brand Missoni, with the first Missoni Casa collection launched in 1983. As on the runways, it was distinguished by colorful prints, with the zig-zag pattern — now a trademark — featured on sofas, wallpaper, and rugs. That same year, Ralph Lauren made his debut, leading to what in 2023 would become A Way of Living (Rizzoli), the first book by the American designer on home decor — from the origins of the ranch style of the Midwest prairies to the sophistication of the Manhattan apartment view. At the dawn of home decor, Armani also joined with Armani/Casa. With a philosophy tied to elegant fabrics, symmetrical proportions, and minimal lines, the brand conquered the market in the 1980s with the famous LOGO Lamp, enriched by a brass switch in the shape of the Italian designer's signature. For some, furniture lines represent another opportunity to reaffirm the essence of their fashion brand's identity. Among these stands out Versace, which this summer offers the iconic Medusa on bedding sets, bathrobes, and cushions. The brand recently collaborated with the design studio Palomba Serafini Associati to create a collection that brings Versace's character into the modern era, using leather, silk, and monochrome blocks. Dior also embraces the original codes of the maison, inspired by the philosophy of its founder, Christian Dior. «Living in a home that doesn't resemble us is a bit like wearing someone else's clothes,» the designer would have said. From this idea comes a home decor distinguished by its refinement: the recent collection designed by Cordelia de Castellane includes floral motifs, Murano blown glass decorations, and the design of the lily of the valley flower—a poisonous plant but considered a good luck charm by Monsieur Dior. 

Missoni Home

Ralph Lauren Home

Dior

Gucci

Versace Home

Armani Casa

Among the brands that have recently joined the high-fashion interior design train is Gucci Décor, launched by then creative director Alessandro Michele in 2017. Initially, the line was distinguished by cushions, divider panels, and Chiavari chairs embroidered with the GG logo and other prints in full 1970s rococo style. Today, however, the new creative director Sabato De Sarno has launched "Rosso Ancora," with an installation at the Salone del Mobile 2024, designed by Spanish architect Guillermo Santom, embracing the brand's new hue, somewhere between cherry and burgundy. Paul Smith also debuted in 2022 with a color-rich collection, featuring rainbow-striped rugs, limited-edition vases by Dale Chihuly, and towels made from recycled fabric. The focus, however, seems to be on the home decor section dedicated to the dining room — the so-called Art de la Table — with meticulous research ranging from ceramics to glass, to the art of painting and hand embroidery. Hermès Home presents porcelain dinnerware sets featuring equestrian motifs with suggestions of Oriental nature; Dior offers gold-rimmed tableware with coral and aquamarine designs, or illustrations of the city of Paris map; Louis Vuitton relies on Limoges porcelain for a minimalist table service with the maison's iconic floral motif; Fendi plays with the double-F padlock icon; finally, Christian Lacroix offers a collage of marine and feathered images for a collection inspired by tropical culture. In short, there’s something for everyone.