The Unveiling of Paul Smith's Claridge's Christmas Tree

And so it begins, as the Claridge's Christmas tree takes center stage, heralding the start of the festive season. This London hotel, a bastion of British hospitality, has once again assembled a roll-call of the world's best-known designers and brands to curate this iconic display. From Louis Vuitton's tree-shaped trunks to Dior Men designer Kim Jones' futuristic crystalline cone and Christopher Bailey's ensemble of gold and silver umbrellas, the past years have been filled with remarkable creations. This year, it is the turn of another British institution, the fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, a longtime patron of Claridge's.

Sir Paul Smith's Playful Christmas Tree at Claridge's

The Playful Design

Sir Paul Smith describes his take on the tradition as having a sense of open spaces and the countryside, even in the heart of London. He conceived this 19ft Christmas tree together with the artist Nik Ramage and Studiomama. Ramage, a longtime collaborator with Smith, is known for his work as a 'sculptor of the useless and absurd'. He takes functional objects and incorporates them into strange, surreal machines. For example, a mechanical 'jelly wobbler' or a wooden head that endlessly bangs against a brick. 'Nik is an artist we work with and he's very creative and crafts surprises with everyday objects. He reminds me of the way my father used to work in his little garden shed, making things for the family out of scraps,' says Smith.

The 19-foot tree, erected in the hotel's famed lobby, is adorned with 100 wooden bird boxes. These bird boxes feature elements like playing-card rooftops or are adorned with playing cards or dice, adding a touch of Smith's off-kilter approach and bold use of color.

The Magical Menagerie

While Ramage worked on the bird boxes, it was Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama's east London-based studio Studiomama who created the magical menagerie of wooden animals. These wooden animals are in the vein of their own Off-Cuts series and 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), and a lucky few guests, including Wallpaper*, got a preview yesterday evening with a luxury sleepover at Claridge's to toast the occasion.

General Manager's Perspective

Claridge's general manager Paul Jackson adds, '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. 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.'

For more information, visit paulsmith.com and claridges.co.uk.

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