ST REGIS AND JASON WU OFFER LIMITED EDITION TRAVEL BAG

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
THE ST REGIS IS NOW ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXCLUSIVE AND EXPENSIVE HOTELS AND JASON WU'S FASHIONS ARE NOT CHEAP EITHER.

So it was a marriage made in heaven when both teamed to produce a limited edition travel bag inspired by the Grand Tour of the 18th and 19th centuries when British aristocrats embarked on monumental journeys to eastern Europe, taking in Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Such journeys typically lasted 1 to 2 years at a time with no proper hotels yet alone credit cards, trains or speedy communications.
The Jason Wu travel bag is simple, stylish and functional and costs, sadly, RM 6,000 so it is not exactly a throwaway thingy or cloth/laundry bags given by St Regis.

ST. REGIS HOTELS & RESORTS AND FASHION DESIGNER JASON WU unveil LIMITED-EDITION
TRAVEL BAG INSPIRED BY TODAY’S GRAND TOUR

The Grand Tourista Bag by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts debuts
in conjunction with launch of St. Regis’ Retail Website: www.stregis.com/boutique

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), is delighted to unveil The Grand Tourista Bag by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts inspired by today’s grand tour and designed with a new generation of luxury travelers in mind. Sophisticated, timeless and informed by the brand’s rich heritage, The Grand Tourista Bag marks Wu’s first product created exclusively for travel and the first accessory designed for the St. Regis brand. The Grand Tourista Bag will retail for $1,995 at www.stregis.com/boutique and www.jasonwustudio.com beginning in early December and will be available for pre-order at online luxury fashion retailer Moda Operandi beginning today on www.modaoperandi.com.

“I see St. Regis as both a classic and a modern name, which I feel is an apt description of my brand as well,” says St. Regis Connoisseur Jason Wu. “I am really excited to be part of a legacy that is rooted in impeccable style that can stand the test of time, and The Grand Tourista Bag reflects exactly that.” 

The Grand Tourista Bag by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is a sumptuous shoulder tote designed in a subtle black and white houndstooth pattern on structured canvas with elegant calf leather black trimming.  The interior features two pouch pockets lined in viscose/silk grain in Wu’s signature grey color, perfectly-sized for tablets, e-books and a passport. St. Regis hallmarks are embossed on the interior’s leather trim and pay homage to the brand’s flagship hotel on 55th Street and 5th Avenue in New York, opened over a century ago by John Jacob Astor IV.

“Traveling the world to design, show and sell his collections, Jason Wu intimately understands the needs of luxury travelers today – a new generation that is increasingly staying with St. Regis around the world,” says Paul James, Global Brand Leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “As a hotel brand as international and informed as its guests, we are building our portfolio in destinations at the heart of the new grand tour itinerary and celebrating this concept with a travel bag that has both style and substance.”

For centuries, affluent travelers would go on a grand tour through Europe to collect experiences and cultivate knowledge.  Today as culture, business and leisure intersect in destinations as diverse as Abu Dhabi, Aspen, and Sanya Yalong Bay a new global traveler has emerged: multi-national and cross-generational, mobile and jet-setting. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is uniquely positioned to cater to the needs of this global elite, offering a distinct perspective on contemporary luxury informed by its own rich heritage.

Nearly tripling the brand’s portfolio around the world in just five years, the St. Regis brand recently debuted hotels and resorts in Bal Harbour, Doha and Shenzhen with upcoming openings ranging from Mauritius and Jakarta to New Delhi and Chengdu.  Celebrating this concept, St. Regis has created a package that offers guests an exceptional culinary experience and a special gift indicative of each destination on the new grand tour itinerary, featured on the brand’s special website, www.stregis.com/newgrandtour.com.

St. Regis has taken special care to partner with ambassadors who share the brand’s commitment to excellence and speak to the passions of its guests, while offering an authentic connection to the St. Regis heritage. Jason Wu joins Nacho Figueras as the brand’s second Connoisseur. The partnership with Wu, whose stylish supporters include Diane Kruger, Rachel Weisz and Reese Witherspoon, developed organically over the course of two years, when Wu showed his collection as a breakout designer at The St. Regis New York during S/S 2010 New York Fashion Week. Wu has attended many milestone events for the brand, including the recent grand opening of The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, and as a genuine brand enthusiast, Wu calls St. Regis home when he is traveling and entertaining.

Through its signature St. Regis Aficionado program, the St. Regis brand has created an opportunity for its global guests to style their wardrobe for the new grand tour itinerary with a limited-edition Grand Tourista Bag. St. Regis Aficionado events scheduled at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts around the world are open to all guests and can be reserved at www.stregis.com/aficionado. Additionally, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) offers SPG members direct access to bespoke experiences including the opportunity to meet St. Regis Connoisseur Jason Wu at the legendary St. Regis New York. Please visit www.spg.com/moments for more information.

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About St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

Combining classic sophistication with a modern sensibility, St. Regis is committed to delivering exceptional experiences at over 30 luxury hotels and resorts in the best addresses around the world. Since the opening of the first St. Regis Hotel in New York City over a century ago by John Jacob Astor IV,  the brand has remained committed to an uncompromising level of bespoke and anticipatory service for all of its guests, delivered flawlessly by signature St. Regis Butler Service. From Bal Harbour to Bangkok, Saadiyat Island to Shenzhen, the St. Regis brand caters to a new generation of luxury travelers and continues to thoughtfully build its portfolio in the most sought after destinations at the heart of today’s grand tour. Plans for the brand to expand its legacy include much-anticipated St. Regis Hotels & Resorts in the Riviera Maya and in Asia, where St. Regis has announced plans to open hotels in Changsha, Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur, Lijiang, Nanjing, New Delhi and Zhuhai. Additionally in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, St. Regis will continue to expand in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Dubai and Mauritius. For more information on St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.stregis.com, to explore our recent debuts visit www.stregis.com/newgrandtour and for the privilege of residential ownership, please visit www.stregis.com/residences