Fashion designers are global taste makers. They have the authority on what we wear, but most also have impeccable taste when it comes to interiors and architectural design.
So, as you might expect, behind their billion-dollar fashion houses are personal abodes of equal design value.
The majority of these homes aren’t open to the general public. But, a few properties which have been lived in by designers past and present are open to visit in various pockets of the world today.
From Coco Chanel's Parisian paradise to Gianni Versace's Miami mansion, these are the estates currently open for your viewing pleasure.
Coco Chanel’s suite at the Ritz, Paris
Decorated by the french designer herself, Coco Chanel's suite at the Ritz was home to Gabrielle Chanel for 34 years from 1937. A full-time home during World War Two, and the place where she died in 1971, it's no wonder the luxury hotel has capitalised on her favoured abode.
With interiors reflecting her love of monochrome, Asian lacquer and gilded mirrors, a step through this suite sums up Chanel's philosophy for refined elegance. Refurbished in 2011, the Ritz has kept her suite intact, saving her personal effects from portraits, sketches and photographs - many of which have never been seen by the general public.
Reserve the Coco Chanel suite here. Prices from 18,000€ per night.
Yves Saint Laurent’s Villa Oasis in Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech
Once home to Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Jardin Majorelle is a Pantone lover's dream. A 12-acre oasis of tangled cacti and 300 exotic plant species surrounds the shocking Yves Klein blue-painted villa. Saint Laurent was heavily inspired by the rich culture of Morocco and lived in the villa with Bergé after buying it in 1980 up until he died in 2008.
The best part? Jardin Majorelle is accessible to the masses as a popular tourist destination in Marrakech. Open to the public every day of the year, you can visit the garden and villa together for approximately £8.
Pierre Cardin’s Bubble Palace, Côte d’Azur
It's the palace that famously no one wants to buy. Italian-born french designer Pierre Cardin is still trying to sell his iconic 'Bubble Palace' designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag.
A space-age homage intended to mimic humanity's earliest cave dwellings, the estate is sprawling and includes 10 bedrooms, three swimming pools, several gardens and a 500-seat amphitheatre. Located on a volcanic mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in southern France, it's a pocket of real estate more extravagant than Elton John's costume archive.
Yet to be sold for the asking price of $451 million, you can rent the estate for special occasions for a slightly more modest $24,000 per day.
Gianni Versace’s Casa Casuarina, Miami
Home to Gianni Versace for five years before his murder on the property's very own doorstep in 1997, Casa Casuarina is now a luxury hotel in Miami. The mansion's close-to-kitsch glamour is synonymous with the late Italian designer's signature, adorned with frescoes, statues, stained glass, and a 24-carat gold swimming pool. When Versace bought the estate in 1992, he spent $32 million in renovations.
The decor is overtly lavish, much like the fashion brand's aesthetic, and a stay in one of the hotel's ten, somewhat OTT, custom guest suites is guaranteed to be an experience like no other. For an indulgent getaway, one-bedroom suites start at £938 per night here.
Il Borro, the Ferruccio Ferragamo estate in Tuscany
Not exactly a 'home' in the traditional sense of the word, Il Borro is a hotel, restaurant and spa owned and operated by the Ferragamo family. While best known for their luxury Italian shoes, the Ferragamos' penchant for restoring 13th century Tuscan estates is an investment we could get used to.
Ferruccio Ferragamo bought the estate in 1993 and restored it with his son Salvatore (current CEO) into the picturesque estate it is today. Comprising of 38 exclusive suites, rooms start at about £150 per night. Book here.
Anna Fendi’s Villa Laetitia, Rome
One of the most beautiful hotels in Rome, Villa Laetitia is owned by Anna Fendi Venturini, one of the five Fendi sisters. The Belle Époque mansion is decorated with frescoes, marble details and designs from the Fendi home collection.
To witness the grand estate for yourself, rooms at the hotel start at about £124 per night. Alternatively, dine in the Michelin-starred restaurant which boasts a celebrated wine collection personally selected by Anna Fendi Venturini. We've got our eyes on the Karl room, named after the current Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld. Book here.
