Intercontinental Edinburgh The George has partnered up with Edinburgh College of Art to create a new collection of Christmas decorations.
The hotel was built as five townhouses in the Georgian era and students from the BA (Hon) Textiles course will examine the history of that time and use the history to inspire decorations which will be used in the hotel lobby later this month. There is a rich seam of stories around the former residents of the building which began as five townhouses before it became a hotel, including the tale of author Susan Ferrier whose vivd accounts of Scottish life, with her strident views on women’s education.
The next generation of talent are teaming up with the hotel and Johnstons of Elgin which is a family owned business celebrating its 225th anniversary this year. The firm will create the Christmas baubles for guests this winter season, and says this endorses its commitment to regeneration of resources. All its designs are made using natural renewable fibres in its Scottish mills and 97% of its manufacturing waste is recycled into other products.
Stephanie Lee, Director of Sales at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, said: “The hotel has been part of Edinburgh’s fabric since 1775 and we are extremely proud of our heritage, but we are also focused on creating a modern space and experience for guests. These talented students will no doubt go on to make their mark on the world, just like the Georgian period did in Edinburgh, so it feels fitting to bring the two stories together for our guests to enjoy this Christmas.
“We are thankful to Edinburgh College of Art and Johnstons of Elgin for helping to bring together this project with a sustainable focus. As a historic property, we recognise our role in doing all we can to make small changes and these decorations will go on to be used for years to come.”
Collette Paterson, Programme Director BA(Hons) Textiles, said: “We are absolutely delighted to work with such beautiful Scottish materials and such an iconic Edinburgh hotel to allow our textiles students to bring their ideas, creativity and ingenuity to the forefront in such a celebratory way. Our students are incredibly excited to contribute to this initiative and to see the fruits of their labour displayed and celebrated in the hotel over the festive period.”
The students will be back in the hotel later this month to decorate the tree in the hotel lobby with their collection.
edinburgh.intercontinental.com
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