May/June 2008

House of Uniforms Vice President Fred Kemmerling is just back from a whirlwind cross-country trip in which he visited Trump Hotel Collection properties in Las Vegas, Chicago and New York, and he is breathless about the uniforms he got to see hotel staff wearing for the first time.

“The uniforms are terrific,” he says. “They don’t look like uniforms, but there is such a signature look to all of the garments that, as a guest, you pick up on this right away. And the employees love wearing them.”

Uniforms that don’t look like uniforms – and yet are instantly recognizable as uniforms. It’s clear these striking new garments have achieved something exceptional, and that is a tribute to the talents of the designer, Ivanka Trump. The 26-year-old designer – who graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics – has been intimately involved in every detail of launching the new ultra-luxury hospitality brand. Now, she has put her stamp on one of the most visible elements of that brand: staff uniforms.

The uniforms made their debut in late January at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, and not long after that were introduced at the Trump International property in Las Vegas. New York will be the next to be outfitted, followed eventually by the rest of the other nine hotels in the Trump portfolio, which is being managed and marketed by Ivanka and her brothers Eric and Donald Jr.

Above: Ivanka Trump’s Metro Collection features black suits and dresses for concierge and front desk associates, made of fine lightweight wool.

“The primary goal was to integrate the Trump brand into the uniform program,” says Kemmerling, whose House of Uniforms team actively participated in every phase of the project, from conception through installation. “The result was uniforms that are youthful, with chic styling and rich colors and fabrics, but also exceedingly comfortable. The ability to work directly with the family allowed us to develop the design criteria to the exact image of the new Trump brand.”

Comfort with style

Throughout the design process, Kemmerling says, Ms. Trump was keenly interested in how Trump employees would feel in the uniforms – how they would relate to them as they performed their specific functions. “She wanted them to be comfortable,” he says, “but she wouldn’t compromise on styling, either.”

There’s plenty of evidence for that in the two distinct collections Trump designed to match the unique needs of the portfolio’s Metro and Resort properties. The Metro Collection features a sophisticated, high-end look that is both architectural and contemporary. The Resort Collection features fabrics that are lighter in weight and color, with more of a laid back, resort “vibe” (see box). “All fabrics are of the highest quality 100% fine line wools, cotton-rich blends and silk accessories,” says Kemmerling. “The program is designed with clean lines and no ornamentation.”

Each position in the hotel has a par of three uniforms – jackets, pants, skirts, shirts, blouses and ties – which includes one set to wear, one on the rack and one at the dry cleaner. In addition, hotel lobby personnel have both summer and winter uniforms that feature coordinating hats, raincoats and overcoats. The uniforms are provided and maintained by The Trump Organization, and each property keeps a 30% inventory – several sizes of most garments – to outfit new hires.

Although the implementation is still in its early stages, Trump and her partners at House of Uniforms appear to have won the day. “The program has had tremendous acceptance by the organization, staff and Trump customers,” Kemmerling says. “The team members are conscious of the effort that has gone into achieving a uniform program that includes them as an intricate part of the Trump Hotel Collection.”

Trump Style

Ivanka Trump Metro Collection
The Metro Collection features charcoal uniforms that will be worn at all city hotels:
New York
SoHo
Chicago
New Orleans
Toronto
Aberdeen, Scotland

Female concierge and front desk associates will wear charcoal three-piece suits made of fine lightweight wool, including a fitted single-breasted jacket with Mandarin collar and a choice of a tuxedo-inspired side strip or a knee-length pencil skirt.

Male counterparts will be outfitted in European-cut wool suits in charcoal pinstripe and peak lapels, with matching trousers featuring a watch pocket.

Restaurant uniforms reflect the high service standards of fine European hotels, with female servers in flowing waist-length jackets (also in black) with elbow-length sleeves and funnel collars. Male servers will wear tailored jackets with pointed hems and banded collars.

Doormen will wear heavy wool herringbone coats, two-toned jackets with off-center closures, while a ladies’ hostess dress features waist treatments and off-center closures. Housekeeping pantsuits feature the same clean cut of the other pieces in the collection, with blended fabrics that include spandex for comfort and ease of movement.

Ivanka Trump Resort Collection
The Resort Collection features lighter-colored uniforms that will be worn at all resort hotels:
Las Vegas
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Baja, Mexico
Panama
Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Waikiki, HI

At Trump’s resort locations, the uniforms will be equally sophisticated and stylish, but the charcoal will be replaced by shades of tan, stone, taupe and beige, long-sleeved versions will give way to short sleeves and fabrics will tend toward tropical weights.