A taster of Miu Miu's ephemeral London member's club, which opens today, came in the form of an elaborate membership pack, enclosed with a 'code of behaviour' card. House rules included: 'start a conversation with a stranger', 'stay longer than you planned, then come back tomorrow' and 'bring your favourite boyfriends and girlfriends.'
Housed in Café Royal, the soon-to-be-opened hotel on Regent Street, The MiuMiu-London is an evocative physical manifestation of the brand's devotion to femininity. The concept of the women's club isn't defined by one singular element; rather, it pulls together variety of experiences that the Miu Miu woman would enjoy. Here, fashion meets culinary, musical and cultural experiences.
Inside, the décor conceived by film production designer Caroline Smith strikes a right balance between decadence and elegance. An expansive multi-room space plays host to a variety of femi-centric activities and experiences, which the brand has conceived to honour the multi-faceted modern woman. Alongside a roster of talks, discussions, screenings and dining options, members and their guests will enjoy access to a ephemeral shop, with an offering of the brand's Resort and newly debuted S/S 2013 collections, styled by Cathy Edwards.
Miu Miu's 'conversation room' serves as a hub for cerebral entertainment, with screenings of the acclaimed Womens' Tales taking place, a series of short films directed by and starring women for the brand. Several influential style icons will be leading a forum that explores women, with Bonnie Wright, Shala Monroque, Penny Martin, W* contributor Alice Rawsthorn, and others exploring the feminine role in contemporary society through a series of lectures. These conversations will also be live-streamed online, where Miu Miu devotees are invited to participate in the debates.
The restaurant will be commandeered by a rotating roster of illustrious chefs: Andrew Turner, April Bloomfield and Margot Henderson have each tailored a menu for members to sample. Providing tunes at the club's lounge and cocktail bar is an achingly cool line-up of international talent including DJs Misty Rabbit, Yasmina Dexter and Roisin Murphy.
The ever-eccentric Vivienne Westwood and millinery master Stephen Jones both designed limited-edition items to mark the club's inception, with all proceeds from the sale of their designs to be donated to the charities Cool Earth and Macmillan Cancer Support respectively. Hats created from the resort 2013 collection feature in Stephen Jones' display cases, while Westwood's windows showcase sculptures of Joe Rush.
Sadly, all good things must end and the club is open for a fleeting three days. But fear not, plans to transplant The-MiuMiu to another city are already in the pipeline, so watch this space.
