The Riggs lodge vacation tree unveiling is a much-anticipated social occasion within the nation’s capital, bringing a contact of vogue cheer to the town. This yr, Christopher John Rogers was tapped to design the tree for the fashionable boutique lodge. “I used to be actually excited by the chance to deliver our aesthetic into a unique area,” Rogers informed WWD. “We’re all the time trying to do issues exterior of simply vogue and put our stamp on new territories.”
The tree is a putting visible feast, with daring colours and dramatic silhouettes, combining Rogers’ signature high-octane fashion with Farrow & Ball’s wealthy, handcrafted artisanal papers. The designer mentioned he was impressed by the dramatic entrance grilles of luxurious automobiles. Oversize ribbons in vibrant hues cascade down from the branches of the 18-foot tall tree. “There’s something about these large bows on the entrance of brand name new automobiles,” Rogers mentioned. “They’re so celebratory and milestone-worthy, with the drama and pleasure. We wished to deliver that very same sense of event to the tree.”
Tons of of hours of portray and fabrication went into creating the tree. Rogers defined every bow started as paper that was hand-cut and -painted, after which scaled as much as dimension for the hovering tree. The colours used to color the tree are from Rogers’ Carte Blanche collaboration with Farrow & Ball. Every of the 12 hues is impressed by childhood reminiscences of meals and household from the designer’s childhood within the Louisiana bayou. The shade names vary from Lobster, Shallot and Licorice to Sardine, Hog Plum, Pea Flower, Tomatillo and Blue Maize.
The tree was additionally dropped at life with extra that 400 customized ornaments, from milk bottles to massive lobsters and corn on the cob, every saturated in a shade from the gathering. “All the pieces was carried out by hand — it was actually essential to us to keep up that stage of expertise and a spotlight to element,” Rogers defined.
“Once we designed the Carte Blanche assortment with Christopher John Rogers, we wished to encourage folks to have enjoyable with adorning, to play with shade and sample. That is the right time of yr to share that message once more,” mentioned Charlotte Cosby, artistic director at Farrow & Ball. “In the course of the holidays, we embellish with a freedom, a pleasure and a boldness we wouldn’t usually. It’s a time when our interior baby comes out, our creativeness is unleashed, and the chances appear limitless. The weird ornaments characterize the gathering, but additionally go to indicate that you should utilize something as a ornament if you wish to.”
The ultimate touches embrace Australian crystal so as to add sparkle and swags of richly coloured Farrow & Ball wallpaper, additionally designed by Rogers.
As Washington prepares for a political transition subsequent month, Rogers, who has dressed former First Woman Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasised the significance of staying true to his model’s values of honesty and forthrightness. “No matter the place the world goes, placing out what we need to exist is crucial factor,” he mentioned. “This tree looks like what we wish the world to be.”