Following exciting new launches at Equip Hotel in Paris, including the new DresSoft line, RKF Luxury Linen is gearing up for an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious 2023
The Equip Hotel exhibit was a 1,200sq m showstopping booth / photo: RKF Luxury Linen
After a four-year hiatus due to the COVID lockdowns, the biennial hotel industry event Equip Hotel returned to Paris in November 2022 with a stylish and much-anticipated flourish. And nowhere was luxury, flamboyance and five-star quality more on show than at RKF Luxury Linen’s showstopper 1,200sq m booth at the event.
Housing a fully-equipped spa salon, three massage beds for delegates to sample, including a quartz bed treatment by a world champion masseur, a French Palace-style bedroom and bathroom suite complete with RKF’s bespoke haute couture organic linens and robes, and even a three-star Michelin dining area, the RKF event stand was a show highlight that no visitor wanted to miss.
Putting on a show RKF founder and CEO Riadh Bouaziz says: “Everybody in the luxury hotel and wellness industries had been waiting for this show since 2018 after the enforced absence in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“So we really wanted to create an ‘extra wow’ experience and judging by the reaction from the designers, architects, CEOs, managers and wellness professionals who flocked to experience the stand every day and kept our team of 20 busy from morning to evening, the event was a huge success.”
As an energetic, pioneering and very hands-on CEO, Bouaziz isn’t a man who does things by halves – rather he likes to multiply standards by at least, he would no doubt affirm, 100-fold. The Equip Hotel booth represented his biggest investment so far (a sum he understandably does not wish to publicly disclose) in this type of industry event.
This huge investment made complete sense because, as Bouaziz says: “To really understand the RKF culture and universe it’s best to come and experience the quality, feel the quality of our award-winning fabrics, try on our designer spa and hotel bathrobes, lie on our luxury bed linen and see the depth of colour and quality of branding and monogramming we can bring to bespoke items.”
In spite of the global turndown caused by the pandemic, Bouaziz and RKF Luxury Linen have continued to keep extremely busy, innovating, developing, signing new deals with major industry names and forging exciting new partnerships throughout this challenging period.
“The RKF brand is now directly present in 85 countries around the world, and indirectly via our partnerships with leading luxury brands such as Guerlain and Dior, that reach extends to 135 countries worldwide,” said Bouaziz. “Added to this, we’ve equipped over 40,000 luxury properties worldwide with signature RKF linens.”
Added to RKF’s already impressive list of 15 patents and brands and 19 international awards, the French company this year received the 2022 H Pierantoni Innovation Prize for the Best Innovation in France related to the technologies behind its eco-friendly fabrics such as Timeless and Dreamsoft; and also won the Fashion, Lifestyle & Accessories category for its haute couture bathrobes in the international Global Architecture & Design Awards 2022.
While RKF has long been a leader in the development of technology-driven fabric, it has in more recent years put a much greater focus on creating garments for the spa and hospitality industries that feel much more attractive and fashionable to wear, while at the same time being comfortable, durable and easy to care for.
“The spa bathrobe is a prime example of something that has always been functional and utilitarian, but not at all comfortable or flattering for spa-goers to wear. It’s very unforgiving for different body types and sizes. So the launch of our couture bathrobes has set a new standard for the industry,” says Bouaziz.
RKF launches Dressoft for winter But RKF does not intend to stop at stylish bathrobes. At Equip Hotel, the company launched its latest evolution in spa garments in the form of a new range called DresSoft using its Dreamsoft fabric.
DresSoft loungewear includes comfortable trousers and tops, fitted t-shirts and a slimline, fitted coat.
“These eco-friendly garments can be comfortably worn both indoors and out and protect against the cold, making them ideal for cooler environments. Much better than draughty bathrobes!” says Bouaziz.
“The jacket is so stylish that it could even transition into evening or more formal wear paired with trousers or jeans. We offer a summer collection in a lighter fabric, or a winter collection using a double layer of Dreamsoft. There are items for women, men and children in the new range.”
With 2023 just around the corner, it feels like RKF – whose original fabrics factory has been operating in France for 188 years – is really only just getting started on this ‘new direction’ of eco-friendly, haute couture spa and hospitality garments.
“We have so much more to come next year, with a new patent, new haute couture industry workwear and an even more extravagant presence at Paris fashion week,” says Bouaziz.
“We continue to work with the biggest and most luxurious brands in the industry, including Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, Mandarin Oriental, Aman Resorts, St Regis, Fairmont and Raffles and look forward to unveiling our finished work on so many huge wellness projects in Saudi Arabia which will take shape over the next few years.”
He concludes: “As a company we always like to think outside of the box, push boundaries and delight our partners and customers. Watch this space in 2023 for many more exciting innovations to come.”
Spa People: Marc Cohen
Leading medical, research, science and educational activities are all part of the new medical director’s role at the Peninsula Hot Springs Group in Australia
Menu engineering: At your service
Get inspired by the latest wellness services including a high-tech diagnostic circuit at SHA and a Zita West fertility programme at Bürgenstock
Interview: Stephan Wagner
As Saudi Arabia taps into tourism, the man heading up wellness at Amaala talks to Spa Business about what the major development is looking to bring to a previously undiscovered part of the Kingdom
Interview: Aradhana Khowala
The chair of the advisory board of the Red Sea – a Saudi development the size of Belgium – shares her passion for regenerative tourism with Spa Business
Sponsored: RKF: Dressed to impress
Following exciting new launches at Equip Hotel in Paris, including the new DresSoft line, RKF Luxury Linen is gearing up for an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious 2023
Everyone’s talking about...: Cold water immersion
A new scientific paper warns of the significant risk of cold water therapies. Spa Business investigates how operators can protect those taking part in extreme bathing programmes
Event report: Healing summit
Self-help and self-love were the key messages from this wellness event in Portugal, says Spa Business’ Lisa Starr
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Effective by nature
Comfort Zone has revealed three new
products, including a new neck and
décolleté fluid, leveraging the power of
botanical bioactive extracts
Interview: Alex & Sue Glasscock
Editor-at-large, Jane Kitchen is put through her paces at The Ranch's new outpost in Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy and catches up with the owners
Event Report: Global Wellness Summit
The 16th annual GWS, held in Tel Aviv, Israel, homed in on the sector’s biggest issues following the pandemic. Spa Business reports on the highlights
Research: Wellness for all
A new study by the Global Wellness Institute provides a framework for businesses and governments to make healthy lifestyles accessible to all
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin Snowroom
The TechnoAlpin Snowroom made our Grand Aufguss Masters event extra special, says Robert Heinevetter
Finishing Touch: Cold call
Tumor suppression and boosting ‘good fat’ are two potential benefits of exposure to cool temperatures and swimming in icy waters, scientists reveal
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...]
Following exciting new launches at Equip Hotel in Paris, including the new DresSoft line, RKF Luxury Linen is gearing up for an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious 2023
The Equip Hotel exhibit was a 1,200sq m showstopping booth / photo: RKF Luxury Linen
After a four-year hiatus due to the COVID lockdowns, the biennial hotel industry event Equip Hotel returned to Paris in November 2022 with a stylish and much-anticipated flourish. And nowhere was luxury, flamboyance and five-star quality more on show than at RKF Luxury Linen’s showstopper 1,200sq m booth at the event.
Housing a fully-equipped spa salon, three massage beds for delegates to sample, including a quartz bed treatment by a world champion masseur, a French Palace-style bedroom and bathroom suite complete with RKF’s bespoke haute couture organic linens and robes, and even a three-star Michelin dining area, the RKF event stand was a show highlight that no visitor wanted to miss.
Putting on a show RKF founder and CEO Riadh Bouaziz says: “Everybody in the luxury hotel and wellness industries had been waiting for this show since 2018 after the enforced absence in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“So we really wanted to create an ‘extra wow’ experience and judging by the reaction from the designers, architects, CEOs, managers and wellness professionals who flocked to experience the stand every day and kept our team of 20 busy from morning to evening, the event was a huge success.”
As an energetic, pioneering and very hands-on CEO, Bouaziz isn’t a man who does things by halves – rather he likes to multiply standards by at least, he would no doubt affirm, 100-fold. The Equip Hotel booth represented his biggest investment so far (a sum he understandably does not wish to publicly disclose) in this type of industry event.
This huge investment made complete sense because, as Bouaziz says: “To really understand the RKF culture and universe it’s best to come and experience the quality, feel the quality of our award-winning fabrics, try on our designer spa and hotel bathrobes, lie on our luxury bed linen and see the depth of colour and quality of branding and monogramming we can bring to bespoke items.”
In spite of the global turndown caused by the pandemic, Bouaziz and RKF Luxury Linen have continued to keep extremely busy, innovating, developing, signing new deals with major industry names and forging exciting new partnerships throughout this challenging period.
“The RKF brand is now directly present in 85 countries around the world, and indirectly via our partnerships with leading luxury brands such as Guerlain and Dior, that reach extends to 135 countries worldwide,” said Bouaziz. “Added to this, we’ve equipped over 40,000 luxury properties worldwide with signature RKF linens.”
Added to RKF’s already impressive list of 15 patents and brands and 19 international awards, the French company this year received the 2022 H Pierantoni Innovation Prize for the Best Innovation in France related to the technologies behind its eco-friendly fabrics such as Timeless and Dreamsoft; and also won the Fashion, Lifestyle & Accessories category for its haute couture bathrobes in the international Global Architecture & Design Awards 2022.
While RKF has long been a leader in the development of technology-driven fabric, it has in more recent years put a much greater focus on creating garments for the spa and hospitality industries that feel much more attractive and fashionable to wear, while at the same time being comfortable, durable and easy to care for.
“The spa bathrobe is a prime example of something that has always been functional and utilitarian, but not at all comfortable or flattering for spa-goers to wear. It’s very unforgiving for different body types and sizes. So the launch of our couture bathrobes has set a new standard for the industry,” says Bouaziz.
RKF launches Dressoft for winter But RKF does not intend to stop at stylish bathrobes. At Equip Hotel, the company launched its latest evolution in spa garments in the form of a new range called DresSoft using its Dreamsoft fabric.
DresSoft loungewear includes comfortable trousers and tops, fitted t-shirts and a slimline, fitted coat.
“These eco-friendly garments can be comfortably worn both indoors and out and protect against the cold, making them ideal for cooler environments. Much better than draughty bathrobes!” says Bouaziz.
“The jacket is so stylish that it could even transition into evening or more formal wear paired with trousers or jeans. We offer a summer collection in a lighter fabric, or a winter collection using a double layer of Dreamsoft. There are items for women, men and children in the new range.”
With 2023 just around the corner, it feels like RKF – whose original fabrics factory has been operating in France for 188 years – is really only just getting started on this ‘new direction’ of eco-friendly, haute couture spa and hospitality garments.
“We have so much more to come next year, with a new patent, new haute couture industry workwear and an even more extravagant presence at Paris fashion week,” says Bouaziz.
“We continue to work with the biggest and most luxurious brands in the industry, including Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, Mandarin Oriental, Aman Resorts, St Regis, Fairmont and Raffles and look forward to unveiling our finished work on so many huge wellness projects in Saudi Arabia which will take shape over the next few years.”
He concludes: “As a company we always like to think outside of the box, push boundaries and delight our partners and customers. Watch this space in 2023 for many more exciting innovations to come.”
Spa People: Marc Cohen
Leading medical, research, science and educational activities are all part of the new medical director’s role at the Peninsula Hot Springs Group in Australia
Menu engineering: At your service
Get inspired by the latest wellness services including a high-tech diagnostic circuit at SHA and a Zita West fertility programme at Bürgenstock
Interview: Stephan Wagner
As Saudi Arabia taps into tourism, the man heading up wellness at Amaala talks to Spa Business about what the major development is looking to bring to a previously undiscovered part of the Kingdom
Interview: Aradhana Khowala
The chair of the advisory board of the Red Sea – a Saudi development the size of Belgium – shares her passion for regenerative tourism with Spa Business
Sponsored: RKF: Dressed to impress
Following exciting new launches at Equip Hotel in Paris, including the new DresSoft line, RKF Luxury Linen is gearing up for an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious 2023
Everyone’s talking about...: Cold water immersion
A new scientific paper warns of the significant risk of cold water therapies. Spa Business investigates how operators can protect those taking part in extreme bathing programmes
Event report: Healing summit
Self-help and self-love were the key messages from this wellness event in Portugal, says Spa Business’ Lisa Starr
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Effective by nature
Comfort Zone has revealed three new
products, including a new neck and
décolleté fluid, leveraging the power of
botanical bioactive extracts
Interview: Alex & Sue Glasscock
Editor-at-large, Jane Kitchen is put through her paces at The Ranch's new outpost in Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy and catches up with the owners
Event Report: Global Wellness Summit
The 16th annual GWS, held in Tel Aviv, Israel, homed in on the sector’s biggest issues following the pandemic. Spa Business reports on the highlights
Research: Wellness for all
A new study by the Global Wellness Institute provides a framework for businesses and governments to make healthy lifestyles accessible to all
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin Snowroom
The TechnoAlpin Snowroom made our Grand Aufguss Masters event extra special, says Robert Heinevetter
Finishing Touch: Cold call
Tumor suppression and boosting ‘good fat’ are two potential benefits of exposure to cool temperatures and swimming in icy waters, scientists reveal
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.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
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).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
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.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Polin Waterparks Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
has since grown into a leading company in
the waterpa [more...]
instantprint We’re a Yorkshire-based online printer, founded
in 2009 by Adam Carnell and James Kinsella. [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
Painting With Light By combining lighting, video, scenic and architectural elements, sound and special effects we tell s [more...]
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...]
