5 High-End Fashion Designers: At a Café Near You?

Do you ever feel like you’re endlessly waiting for fashion week to happen twice a year? Can you name every single piece of the last collection from Gucci, but realized that you can’t afford to spend your college fund on clothing from the biggest fashion designers? Never fear. This time around you can finally purchase some designers’ stuff. Just not in the way you might think.

It might seem weird that these fashion designers are trying to feed us, especially when some of these cafes are right inside the designers’ store.

I mean, yes please.

1. ARMANI/ PRIVÉ, Hong Kong

Armani is a household name, so it’s no wonder the brand decided to expand into the restaurant industry. The indoor space has a dark, sensuous atmosphere (AKA, Glamour), where four internationally acclaimed resident DJs share the turntables and provide the nightly tunes to entertain and energize guests. It is truly the extension of the famous fashion and lifestyle that now encapsulates cafes, lounges, and resorts.

ARMANI/PRIVE is a collaboration between fashion house Giorgio Armani and Aqua Restaurant Group. This sophisticated club has been a mainstay of the city’s high-end nightlife scene for some time. Perfect for after-work drinks, the biggest draw is its spacious wraparound rooftop terrace with commanding views over Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road right in the midst of skyscrapers typical of downtown Hong Kong.

Try the blue margarita, one of my personal favourites. I guarantee it lives up to the brand’s name.

2. Ralph Lauren, New York City

Unlike ARMANI/ PRIVÉ, Ralph Lauren’s cafe is casual, down to earth, even. It is a favorite of many college students and future fashion designers. If you can’t afford to fill your wardrobe with Ralph Lauren, fill your stomach instead! By getting the real deal, a seat by the glass window will guarantee you a view like no other of pedestrians shopping along one of the world’s most famous shopping streets.

“The iced coffee, hot chocolates and pastries were everything.”

3. Gucci, Milan, Toyko, Shanghai, Florence

The Gucci cafes are now located in four cities: Milan, Florence, Shanghai , and Tokyo. Their cafe style is significantly different in different cities. The Milan location is outdoor on a fashionable shopping area, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Tokyo location is inside the Ginza shopping mall.

The Shanghai location is inside the IAPM shopping mall, and is named ‘1921 Gucci’. The indoor space has a retro, 1920s atmosphere where you can order the brand’s name coffee while surrounded by expensive handbags and shoes.

4. Vogue Café, Dubai

Although Vogue is not a designer brand, it speaks for itself. The most influential and one of the most respected magazines of all time, VOGUE has opened several cafés in Dubai. There is no doubt that the dining experience you will find at VOGUE café is full of glamour and gossip-girl ish. With menu items ranging from the VOGUE Gazpacho Virgin Mary to the VOGUE café breakfast, everything is personalized to suit your tastebuds. Yes please.

5. Roberto Cavalli, Ibiza

The Cavalli Cafés are probably some of the most extravagant places you’ll ever step into just to get your dose of caffeine. The café in this Kuwait location seats about 100 guests. Everything from the decorations to the interior design of the space just screams the elegance of Cavalli. Whether it’s an afternoon brunch with friends or simply tea by yourself, you’re guaranteed to have the full Roberto Cavalli experience.