And so it begins: the unveiling of the Claridge’s Christmas tree has long heralded the start of the festive season, seeing the London hotel – and bastion of British hospitality – drafting a roll-call of the world’s best-known designers and brands to curate the iconic display. There has been an enormous stack of tree-shaped trunks (courtesy of Louis Vuitton) a futuristic crystalline cone (designed by Dior Men designer Kim Jones), and an ensemble of gold and silver umbrellas (by Christopher Bailey, created during his tenure as creative director of Burberry). Others have been designed by Karl Lagerfeld, Alber Elbaz, and John Galliano, among others.
This year it is the turn of another British institution, the fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, a longtime patron of Claridge’s (‘My wife Pauline and I have been staying and dining at Claridge’s for many years,’ he says). Unveiled today in the lobby of the hotel, his playful take on tradition comprises a 19ft Christmas tree adorned with 100 wooden bird boxes, alongside a multitude of glimmering baubles and bows (the latter in Smith’s colourful ‘signature stripe’). Befitting Smith’s off-kilter approach – which is defined by a bold use of colour and oftentimes humourous take on traditional British dress codes – the bird boxes feature elements like playing-card rooftops, or are adorned with playing cards or dice.
Paul Smith unveils his Claridge’s Christmas Tree
‘I wanted the tree to have a sense of open spaces and the countryside, the feeling of fresh air even though the tree is in the centre of London,’ Smith tells Wallpaper* of the tree’s playful design, which was conceived together with the artist Nik Ramage and Studiomama. Ramage – a longtime collaborator with Smith – describes his work as a ‘sculptor of the useless and absurd’, largely taking functional objects and incorporating them into strange, surreal machines (a mechanical ‘jelly wobbler’, for example, or a wooden head which endlessly bangs against a brick). ‘Nik is an artist we work with and he’s very creative and crafts surprises with everyday objects,’ says Smith. ‘He reminds me of the way my father used to work in his little garden shed, making things for the family out of scraps.’
While Ramage worked on the tree’s bird boxes, it was Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama’s east London-based studio Studiomama who created the magical menagerie of wooden animals (in the vein of their own Off-Cuts series), which are gathered at the base of the tree. ‘They take off-cuts of wood that they find in the local workshop and make these marvellous fantasy animals out of them which is so charming and fun,’ Smith continues. The tree was unveiled by Smith this morning (20 November 2024), though a lucky few guests – including Wallpaper* – got a preview yesterday evening, with a luxury sleepover at Claridge’s to toast the occasion.
‘We have had the honour of welcoming Sir Paul and his family to the hotel for many years and we can’t wait to see his unique and inimitable take on the annual challenge of creating something magical for our lobby this festive season,’ adds Claridge’s general manager Paul Jackson. ‘Christmas is the most magical time of year for us all here at Claridge’s and we look forward to seeing guests and visitors immerse themselves in the creative and colourful world of Sir Paul Smith.’
