Meeting next-level hospitality with bespoke solutions
A timeless aesthetic. Sophisticated surroundings. Premium service. With 18 locations in 16 cities across the globe, Thompson Hotels — a boutique brand within the World of Hyatt® — celebrates originality with a forward-thinking vision, curating the best in local style and culture.
In December 2021, Thompson opened a location in Atlanta’s fashion-filled Buckhead neighborhood — long an epicenter of elegance and exclusivity. The hotel reflects the locale and the brand’s character, which demands thoughtfulness in all things.
The challenge
Signature design
reflecting iconic architecture
In a place where every surface is crafter with consideration, everyday isn’t an option. We needed to draw on our deep design and customer service expertise to make something completely original and fresh – and ensure it stayed that way.
With preparations for the hotel opening underway, we were tasked with creating an exclusive collection of apparel that’s exquisitely designed and built to perform. That fits with the midcentury-modern-with-a-twist interior. That captures Thompson Buckhead’s signature sleekness in every stich and transitions seamlessly to everyday life.
An endless supply of support
With supply chain issue affecting industries worldwide, we needed to meet demand with dynamic product solutions and prompt apparel delivery.
Looking and feeling food provides a wellspring of confidence, so we helped Hyatt colleagues get completely comfortable with their new attire – concepting an unforgettable apparel launch, providing special tailoring options and guaranteeing replacement availability.
Our role
Design
Textile innovation
Sourcing and
quality control
Distribution
Employee engagement
“We chose Design Collective because we were looking for a really strong partner. When you’re building a hotel at the luxury level, you want to make sure everything represents the brand and what you’re creating.”
Lukus Grace, General Manager, Thompson Buckhead
The solution
Discerning style, superior service
Creating the collection
Before the first sketch was even conceived, we established a relationship built on trust and transparency to fuel collaboration. This meant talking and listening, brainstorming and listening more. We immersed ourselves in the Thompson Buckhead brand so we could understand every facet of their needs and develop a holistic apparel vision – from aesthetics to timelines.
Over the course of several months, we worked side-by-side with Thompson Buckhead’s leadership team to curate a collection worthy of the future hotspot’s big debut. With “elevated yet approachable” as our ideal outcome, we hand-selected pieces from our Ready to Wear line – landing on a mix of suiting, denim and layering options that married professionalism with the client’s ultra-contemporary aesthetic. To further enhance the collection and the bespoke feel, we also added signature pieces to the collection.
Two of the property’s most exclusive spaces — Dirty Rascal, a modern reimagining of a classic red-sauce restaurant, and Tesserae, an invite-only rooftop club — required custom looks to match their extraordinary ambiance. Deriving inspiration from several enlightening site visits, we wove the elements of the space’s interior design into our made-to-measure apparel vision.
“When it comes to creative collaboration, listening is key — it was essential for Design Collective to fully understand Thompson Buckhead’s vision so we could bring it to life.”
Thomas Chung, Lead Designer, Design Collective
Style in each stitch
The magic’s in the details — classics with pops of color and imaginative silhouettes. For Dirty Rascal, a green velvet shawl-collar tuxedo vest, inspired by Jazz Age fashion, mirrors the restaurant’s color scheme and retro-chic interiors. For Tesserae, jackets with a streamlined wrap collar add to the air of refinement.
Bespoke isn’t just about design; it's also about construction. We provided the Thompson Buckhead leadership team with fabric selections to make apparel fashion-forward and incredibly durable. In some cases, this meant using special tested-and-trusted fabrics featuring life-extending innovations (moisture management, color-fade protection), keeping garments looking and feeling as good on day 100 as they did on day one.
“We wanted colleagues to look great for work, but also to be able to leave work in their uniforms and feel confident. That means we couldn’t be cookie cutter. The uniforms had to be trend-right, specificto the locale, and tell a story.”
Jimmy Burns, Division Vice President, Pepsi Bottling Ventures
Bringing it all to life
The customized, boutique experience we provide for our clients made us perfect-fit partners for Thompson Buckhead, whose customer service standards mirror ours. Making sure they had exactly what they wanted, exactly when they needed it was paramount, so our project plan accounted for every last detail. We were in constant communication about our road map for fulfilling and sustaining the program, planning through any challenges and providing creative solutions. As colleagues hadn’t been hired at the time of ordering, we also pulled from past experience and analytics to give insights on sizing.
The runway becomes reality
Our trailblazing new collection needed a thrilling debut, so we put on a fashion show during the employees’ opening pep rally, with apparel for every single job function getting a moment to shine on the runway. To generate excitement amongst Hyatt colleagues about their new apparel, we pulled out all the stops with professional hair and makeup artists, a photographer and even an electric violinist to energize the catwalk. We completed the bespoke experience and made sure each colleague felt like their apparel was made just for them with fitting sessions through our installation team.
“Luxury apparel was a requirement for us,
and the team knocked it out of the park.
They’re experts at what they do, and
they’ve got great tailors.”
Lukus Grace
The results
Some very stylish figures
84
different silhouettes
45
orders processed
145
employee fittings
for the opening
700
units ordered
since opening
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