RKF Luxury Linen - Putting spa fashion on the global stage
With a long list of awards and achievements in 2018, the coming year looks set
to see RKF Luxury Linen become firmly established as a 'spa fashion' leader
RKF is changing the way the industry sees spa linens, elevating them to desirable fashion items
Already acclaimed as an innovator in the world of spa textiles, RKF Luxury Linen has been intent on revolutionising the design of the humble spa robe in recent years.
Traditionally the most unflattering, least trendy garment to be seen at a luxury destination, RKF has been intent on elevating the spa robe to a hot fashion item.
And judging by the reception earlier this year to RKF’s inaugural fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, the French textile company seems to have succeeded.
RKF’s CEO Riadh Bouaziz says: "Bathrobe design has changed very little over the course of history, but RKF is now revolutionising that.
"In March, we exhibited 33 unique designs in Paris and at the end received a 10-minute standing ovation from some very discerning eyes in the fashion, cosmetics, spa and hotel industries, as well as international journalists.
‘Utopia by RKF’ treated the audience to a 40-minute, high-energy fashion event featuring live music (electro pop and a classical string quartet), a dancer, backdrop videos, botanical scenography, and a striking mirrored catwalk. This show was 100 per cent designed, managed and produced by RKF’s team: fashion design, soundtrack, tale, scenography and choreography."
Bouaziz adds: "The show took a whole year of planning and organisation, but the results were spectacular. You could not distinguish our bathrobes and designs from other haute couture items."
Such was the impact of the event in the fashion world, that soon after RKF was invited as star guest for Tunis Fashion Week in Carthage in May.
Bouaziz says: "We redesigned our Paris show to fit the historical setting of the 1st Century amphitheatre, and in just two weeks our talented team created extra designs inspired by Tunisian history and mythology."
Exclusive partnerships The year 2018, which saw the company celebrate its 18th anniversary, also welcomed many new high-end partnerships for RKF, including worldwide brands such as Dior, Valmont and Filorga, as well as luxury hotels and resorts like W Tel Aviv, Kempinksi Geneva, Bulgari Dubai, Mandarin Oriental London and Doha, Four Seasons George V Paris, Lotte Seoul, Parklane Cyprus and Blue Waters Resort Dubai.
Bouaziz emphasises that RKF is also dedicated to bringing its particular brand of luxury to all segments of the wellness and hospitality market.
That’s one of the reasons the company used the EquipHotel exhibition in Paris in November 2018 to relaunch its corporate identity into three key categories.
ESSENTIEL by RKF will provide the must-have, all-white products for spas and hotels, using RKF’s award-winning range of textiles like Dreamsoft and Timeless.
COLLECTION by RKF is where the company’s creativity and expression truly comes to the fore, serigraphed garments, innovative designs and a high level of embroidery detail.
"We now have the largest capacity in the industry for creating and producing bespoke embroidery. In RKF group, we also have one of the largest collection of handcrafted embroidery patterns and archives dating back to 1834," Bouaziz adds.
Finally, SIGNATURE by RKF will feature designs that are far ahead of what’s currently available in the spa linens market. Elements of these designs will filter through to every collection that RKF brings to market.
Starting with a societal problem related to disability, the RKF team has also developed a particular textile design that will be integrated into all its products.
Showcased at EquipHotel in Paris and remaining true to Maison RKF’s design philosophy, Bouaziz says this particular technique not only brings "societal added value", but also a refined finish to products.
Style and functionality While RKF has brought fashion very much to the fore, it has never compromised on investment in R&D, which continues to yield fabrics that are incredibly lightweight, cost-effective to launder, durable and eco-friendly for spa and hospitality environments.
Bouaziz says: "We’ve listened to the feedback and requests from wellness experts, and are now considering creating a 360° textile experience that’s featured throughout the spa – not just in the therapy rooms and relaxation areas.
"It’s now widely understood that lying on a massage table that feels deeply comfortable and sensual must be the first step to wellness, but customers’ expectations are getting even higher.
"That’s why we’ve created bathrobes as fashion items. And we have new products coming that will offer a brand new customer experience. The boundaries of wellness, beauty and fashion are becoming more blurred and that’s really exciting.
"In future, there’ll be no more wellness without fashion. Given the spa’s luxury environment it just doesn’t make any sense to have ill-fitting robes and uninspiring linens."
Innovations for 2019 As RKF gears up for its busiest year of business yet, there will be many more launches to come in 2019. Currently under wraps is a ‘highly unique and art-inspired’ concept that Bouaziz says will filter through to all of RKF’s collections.
In addition, three major events are also to be announced – for France, the Middle East and Asia.
Meanwhile, Bouaziz will also retain his tenure of France ambassador for Global Wellness Day for a third year, planning and overseeing events for the eastern region.
Alongside its work to elevate spa fashion, RKF’s digital assets have also received a complete makeover, with the launch of a new website and the development of its industry blog. An e-commerce store that will also cater for the B2C market will be launched at a later date.
This could well be another growth area for RKF, as the company has already become an influencer on social media, breaking away from what’s considered a traditional supplier industry to become an inspirational brand that attracts a much more diverse following.
"The teaser video for our Paris fashion show alone received more than one million views on Facebook and two million views on Instagram," says Bouaziz.
RKF’s official Facebook page now has more than 30,000 fans, and the CEO himself – a worldwide traveller and sought-after speaker – has garnered his own personal Instagram following of more than 30,000 fans.
All this serves to highlight how a niche B2B supplier has successfully managed – through technological innovation, investment, great vision and sheer passion – to transform itself into an inspiring, fashion-driven brand that’s admired way beyond the industry it serves.
As RKF Luxury Linen gets ready to launch into a new year, Bouaziz’s personal upbeat catchphrase of "think positive, do positive, feel positive" could not be more apt.
RKF achievements
Since its creation in 2000, RKF has served 25,000 customers in 72 countries, including:
13,000 hotels (90 per cent of which were 4*, 5* and ‘palaces’)
9,000 spas directly (+ 2,000 spas indirectly through cosmetic brands)
3,000 private projects (including presidential and royal palaces, private yachts and jets, embassies, private islands, and celebrity clients)
RKF Group has filed 15 international trademarks and patents, and two new patents are planned for 2019
In 2017-2018, the RKF Luxury Linen brand received more than 12 international awards for innovation and design – including accolades from the International Design Awards in LA, the European Product Design Awards in the European Parliament, and the A’Design Awards in Italy
RKF Group has received more than 10 honorary titles that highlight the performance of its team – including international trophies for the career and vision of CEO Riadh Bouaziz, and title of 6th best designer in the world for artistic director Christophe Dijoux
In 2018, RKF was honoured for its core values, winning a Design for Society award for its textile creations for disabled people
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RKF Luxury Linen - Putting spa fashion on the global stage
With a long list of awards and achievements in 2018, the coming year looks set
to see RKF Luxury Linen become firmly established as a 'spa fashion' leader
RKF is changing the way the industry sees spa linens, elevating them to desirable fashion items
Already acclaimed as an innovator in the world of spa textiles, RKF Luxury Linen has been intent on revolutionising the design of the humble spa robe in recent years.
Traditionally the most unflattering, least trendy garment to be seen at a luxury destination, RKF has been intent on elevating the spa robe to a hot fashion item.
And judging by the reception earlier this year to RKF’s inaugural fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, the French textile company seems to have succeeded.
RKF’s CEO Riadh Bouaziz says: "Bathrobe design has changed very little over the course of history, but RKF is now revolutionising that.
"In March, we exhibited 33 unique designs in Paris and at the end received a 10-minute standing ovation from some very discerning eyes in the fashion, cosmetics, spa and hotel industries, as well as international journalists.
‘Utopia by RKF’ treated the audience to a 40-minute, high-energy fashion event featuring live music (electro pop and a classical string quartet), a dancer, backdrop videos, botanical scenography, and a striking mirrored catwalk. This show was 100 per cent designed, managed and produced by RKF’s team: fashion design, soundtrack, tale, scenography and choreography."
Bouaziz adds: "The show took a whole year of planning and organisation, but the results were spectacular. You could not distinguish our bathrobes and designs from other haute couture items."
Such was the impact of the event in the fashion world, that soon after RKF was invited as star guest for Tunis Fashion Week in Carthage in May.
Bouaziz says: "We redesigned our Paris show to fit the historical setting of the 1st Century amphitheatre, and in just two weeks our talented team created extra designs inspired by Tunisian history and mythology."
Exclusive partnerships The year 2018, which saw the company celebrate its 18th anniversary, also welcomed many new high-end partnerships for RKF, including worldwide brands such as Dior, Valmont and Filorga, as well as luxury hotels and resorts like W Tel Aviv, Kempinksi Geneva, Bulgari Dubai, Mandarin Oriental London and Doha, Four Seasons George V Paris, Lotte Seoul, Parklane Cyprus and Blue Waters Resort Dubai.
Bouaziz emphasises that RKF is also dedicated to bringing its particular brand of luxury to all segments of the wellness and hospitality market.
That’s one of the reasons the company used the EquipHotel exhibition in Paris in November 2018 to relaunch its corporate identity into three key categories.
ESSENTIEL by RKF will provide the must-have, all-white products for spas and hotels, using RKF’s award-winning range of textiles like Dreamsoft and Timeless.
COLLECTION by RKF is where the company’s creativity and expression truly comes to the fore, serigraphed garments, innovative designs and a high level of embroidery detail.
"We now have the largest capacity in the industry for creating and producing bespoke embroidery. In RKF group, we also have one of the largest collection of handcrafted embroidery patterns and archives dating back to 1834," Bouaziz adds.
Finally, SIGNATURE by RKF will feature designs that are far ahead of what’s currently available in the spa linens market. Elements of these designs will filter through to every collection that RKF brings to market.
Starting with a societal problem related to disability, the RKF team has also developed a particular textile design that will be integrated into all its products.
Showcased at EquipHotel in Paris and remaining true to Maison RKF’s design philosophy, Bouaziz says this particular technique not only brings "societal added value", but also a refined finish to products.
Style and functionality While RKF has brought fashion very much to the fore, it has never compromised on investment in R&D, which continues to yield fabrics that are incredibly lightweight, cost-effective to launder, durable and eco-friendly for spa and hospitality environments.
Bouaziz says: "We’ve listened to the feedback and requests from wellness experts, and are now considering creating a 360° textile experience that’s featured throughout the spa – not just in the therapy rooms and relaxation areas.
"It’s now widely understood that lying on a massage table that feels deeply comfortable and sensual must be the first step to wellness, but customers’ expectations are getting even higher.
"That’s why we’ve created bathrobes as fashion items. And we have new products coming that will offer a brand new customer experience. The boundaries of wellness, beauty and fashion are becoming more blurred and that’s really exciting.
"In future, there’ll be no more wellness without fashion. Given the spa’s luxury environment it just doesn’t make any sense to have ill-fitting robes and uninspiring linens."
Innovations for 2019 As RKF gears up for its busiest year of business yet, there will be many more launches to come in 2019. Currently under wraps is a ‘highly unique and art-inspired’ concept that Bouaziz says will filter through to all of RKF’s collections.
In addition, three major events are also to be announced – for France, the Middle East and Asia.
Meanwhile, Bouaziz will also retain his tenure of France ambassador for Global Wellness Day for a third year, planning and overseeing events for the eastern region.
Alongside its work to elevate spa fashion, RKF’s digital assets have also received a complete makeover, with the launch of a new website and the development of its industry blog. An e-commerce store that will also cater for the B2C market will be launched at a later date.
This could well be another growth area for RKF, as the company has already become an influencer on social media, breaking away from what’s considered a traditional supplier industry to become an inspirational brand that attracts a much more diverse following.
"The teaser video for our Paris fashion show alone received more than one million views on Facebook and two million views on Instagram," says Bouaziz.
RKF’s official Facebook page now has more than 30,000 fans, and the CEO himself – a worldwide traveller and sought-after speaker – has garnered his own personal Instagram following of more than 30,000 fans.
All this serves to highlight how a niche B2B supplier has successfully managed – through technological innovation, investment, great vision and sheer passion – to transform itself into an inspiring, fashion-driven brand that’s admired way beyond the industry it serves.
As RKF Luxury Linen gets ready to launch into a new year, Bouaziz’s personal upbeat catchphrase of "think positive, do positive, feel positive" could not be more apt.
RKF achievements
Since its creation in 2000, RKF has served 25,000 customers in 72 countries, including:
13,000 hotels (90 per cent of which were 4*, 5* and ‘palaces’)
9,000 spas directly (+ 2,000 spas indirectly through cosmetic brands)
3,000 private projects (including presidential and royal palaces, private yachts and jets, embassies, private islands, and celebrity clients)
RKF Group has filed 15 international trademarks and patents, and two new patents are planned for 2019
In 2017-2018, the RKF Luxury Linen brand received more than 12 international awards for innovation and design – including accolades from the International Design Awards in LA, the European Product Design Awards in the European Parliament, and the A’Design Awards in Italy
RKF Group has received more than 10 honorary titles that highlight the performance of its team – including international trophies for the career and vision of CEO Riadh Bouaziz, and title of 6th best designer in the world for artistic director Christophe Dijoux
In 2018, RKF was honoured for its core values, winning a Design for Society award for its textile creations for disabled people
Interview: Thomas Klein
Senior living, family resorts and urban retreats are all on the cards for Canyon Ranch says COO and president Thomas Klein. Katie Barnes finds out more
Trends: Spa Foresight™ 2018/19
Spa Business’ predictions for the future include vegan spas, blue light antidotes, home wellness and plastic-free facilities
Interview: Dietmar Mueller-Elmau
The owner of Germany’s Schloss Elmau tells Spa Business why music, culture and spa feed the mind and soul
Promotional feature: Living Earth Crafts
Living Earth Crafts has distinguished itself with furniture for the spa industry that combines high design with seamless functionality. Brian Paris gives us insight into the company’s stylish new introductions
Event report: GWS 2018 - Bella vita
An Italian inspired Global Wellness Summit featured fashion, food, fitness and spa… and cameos from Hugh Jackman and Oprah Winfrey. Spa Business gives its highlights
Research: Growing up
Spa is the fastest growing sector of the US$4.2tn global wellness economy according to the latest GWI research
Event report: WTA Conference
What do wellness travellers want? And what issues need to be addressed as the wellness tourism sector grows? Anne Dimon reports from the inaugural meeting of the Wellness Tourism Association
Fitness: Inhale the future
Ashley Neese tells Spa Business about the possibilities of breathwork and opening up the practice to more people
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
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to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
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entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
