WORDS BY Pauline Brettell
December 4, 2024
As the world of hospitality continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: the need for spaces that tell a story, and the scarf designs by Richard Allan London, do just that…
Established in 1962, Richard Allan London produced luxurious silk scarves, designed in Mayfair and printed in Kent. Cate Allan has continued her father’s tradition, but her vision is based in the art. Initially making limited edition artwork prints on paper using the scarf designs curated from the Richard Allan 1960s-70s archive, that vision has now expanded to realise the scope of the archive for use within hotel interiors, which is wide ranging and poised for development.
Image credit: Roly Roques-O’Neil
The Richard Allan scarf designs showcase the company’s mid-century heritage in amazing breadth. Iconic works, once a staple of high fashion, reimagined as a central element for interior design, they are a remarkable blend of luxury and narrative. The 60’s was a decade of reinvention, when fashion, art and design collided with the classic establishment. Richard Allan was embraced across the divide: the scarves were not just accessories, they were statement pieces, each one a demonstration of modernity and elegance, vibrant works of art that were as much about visual expression as they were about luxury.
Image credit: Roly Roques-O’Neil
Today, Richard Allan’s archival designs are making a powerful return. Translating the tactile richness of silk scarves to hotel interiors is open to individual interpretation across framed artworks on paper or silk, fabrics, upholstery, rug and carpets, tiles, linens, tableware and more, with bespoke colour palettes.
The framed artwork prints themselves create dramatic focal points, adding an individual dimension to any space and using themed colour lines, blend with each other to enhance each interior design spec. Printed on museum etching paper or silk, the artworks are accessories that tell a story. Bold, abstract, geometric shapes or fluid, organic patterns immediately capture attention. Throughout a hotel from the lobby onwards, they infuse spaces with energy and sophistication, or evoke an air of calm and creativity. The prints are more than just decoration, they present a unique, authentic and cohesive concept.
Image credit: Roly Roques-O’Neil
Integrating 60s scarf designs into hotel interiors is not about recreating the past but reinterpreting for the present, nostalgic and modern. Timeless pattern and depth of colours from dramatic, vibrant, and full of contrast to muted, tonal and subtly rich, they offer endless opportunities for creating spaces that feel fresh and original. The Richard Allan designs, as memorable as the era that inspired them, hold an unmistakable insight to the fabulous fashion of a moment in time in London, whilst transitioning perfectly to contemporary interiors.
Richard Allan London is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our Recommended Suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: Roly Roques-O’Neil
Original article from Hotel Designs can be found here: https://hoteldesigns.net/member-news/richard-allan-london-bringing-its-iconic-1960s-scarf-designs-to-contemporary-hotel-interiors/
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