Esther Gomez |
Marbella (Málaga) (EFE).- Iconic fashion brands such as Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, Elie Saab or Dolce & Gabbana got on the decoration bandwagon years ago and are now joining real estate development, with a new line of business in Marbella, where “brand houses” are sold for millions of dollars to the wealthiest pockets.
Among the pioneers in betting on this new product, which takes the concept of luxury housing to another dimension, is the Marbella developer Sierra Blanca States which, after reaching an agreement with the Italian Fendi, launched the first branded residential complex in the Mediterranean coast, Epic Marbella.
Located on a 48,000 square meter plot on the Golden Mile of this municipality on the Costa del Sol, the development includes 56 apartments and duplex penthouses -the smallest measuring 400 square meters- finished in fine materials and furnished by Fendi Casa.
It is “a unique project” both for its architectural design and for the vision with which it was conceived, since it allows “living in your own apartment but with the security, comforts, and services of a five-star hotel,” he explained to EFE the executive director of Sierra Blanca, Carlos Rodríguez.
Epic Marbella also includes generous common spaces and garden areas, a social club, a spa, a cinema, a playroom, a gastrobar and first-rate sports facilities with a double-height gym, a golf simulator, half a basketball court or a 25-meter indoor pool. .
A unique experience
It is not just about building a luxury home to use, but about “marrying the DNA of the developer with the DNA of the brand in an architecture and interior design project to offer a unique experience to customers,” Rodríguez details.
The good prospects of Sierra Blanca’s pioneering foray into the universe of “houses with a brand” led the Marbella company to continue exploring the possibilities of the fashion segment, which has materialized in two collaborative projects with Karl Lagerfeld and Dolce & Gabbana.
Under the umbrella of the Lagerfeld firm, known as the kaiser of fashion, the construction of five single-family villas is planned -the first of which was sold in 2022, still on plans, for a figure close to 15 million euros- in which Lagerfeld’s “passion” for architecture, interior design and innovation is reflected.
In this development, where the creative direction, the brand image and the design are the responsibility of the German fashion firm, each house is unique as if it were a work of art, says the executive director of Sierra Blanca.
The houses will have almost total privacy thanks, in part, to an architecture that is defined through games of reflections, shadows, lights and colour; and in which the landscape, with views of the sea on the horizon and with the volumes of vegetation “creating an idyllic atmosphere at ground level”, plays a key role, the promoter comments.
It should be noted that the project uses wood and a reflective synthetic ceramic material, finished with white gold powder, to wrap each of the villas creating a polished and semi-reflective effect that will give them a modern and distinctive design.
For the firm of the iconic Lagerfeld, Marbella has also meant its first foray into the real estate sector, although it will not be the only one, as the company’s chief executive, Pier Paolo Righi, advanced to EFE.
Marbella, between Maldives and Miami
The collaboration between the developer and Dolce & Gabbana is part of the recent announcement by the Italian brand to enter the sector with a triple development in Miami, Maldives and Marbella, and for Sierra Blanca “to be able to place the name of Marbella alongside other destinations such important tourist and residential areas is a source of pride”, he points out.
In the case of Spain, the project – located on a 90,000 square meter plot – encompasses the joint development of a residential, commercial, restaurant and artistic complex.
The Lebanese designer Elie Saab has also joined in putting the seal of his brand on a real estate development in the area; His is a project of five villas -the first with his name on the Spanish coast- that will enjoy an original and contemporary design, interiors of splendid proportions and infinity pools, their promoters highlight.
The price of one of these exclusive properties that Manchester City soccer player Erling Haaland, among others, has set their eyes on is far from wearing Karl Lagerfeld sneakers, wearing an Elie couture design Saab or slinging an exclusive Fendi or Dolce & Gabbana bag on your shoulder, and few will access it.
From 4.9 million euros -taxes not included- you can buy an exclusive apartment furnished by Fendi Casa in this tourist town on the Costa del Sol, synonymous with luxury and glamour, although the cost of a villa with the seal of the signature of the kaiser of fashion would go on to have eight figures.