VERMELHO SEEING

AS A YOUNG journalist working on a women’s magazine in the 90s, I had some fashion dreams. The most recurrent of them was owning a pair of Christian Louboutin’s black stilettos, with the unique red sole, of course. It was a statement, a palpable sign that you had made it in the fashion world.

I went on to have two babies instead of the shoes, but years later I bought the incredible nail polish (the bottle designed like a stiletto heel) launched by the designer. Red, of course. A bright, perfect red.

So it was no surprise when I knew that the name of his first hotel was going to be Vermelho. It made complete sense. Red, in Alentejo. Louboutin’s love for Portugal is well known, but when he announced a hospitality business in the making, I guess everyone thought it would happen in the very expat-crowded Comporta, where he is known to have a house. But the designer decided to go a bit further down in the Alentejo and chose the small village of Melides, which he had discovered 12 years previously and fell in love with it on the spot, to make the first Vermelho come to life: the first yes... more of that later.

A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE IT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE TOUR OF THE MOST AWAITED HOSPITALITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN’S VERMELHO MELIDES, IN THE ALENTEJO

Words: SANDRA GATO

Friends were called in to add their own creative signature to the interior design of Vermelho Melides

Quickly, Louboutin’s new project was on everyone’s lips and curiosity grew by the day, inside and outside the country. When I knew the name was confirmed – Vermelho – it was kind of obvious because of the brand image, but at the same time, it made me wonder: “Red? In a traditional Alentejo village, where the colours are – and always have been –white and blue?” Would a splash of red ‘hurt’ the area’s purity?

How red is Vermelho?

So that was the first question on my mind before arriving in Melides to visit the hotel. How much red would I find and how would it merge into the surroundings. I went on the Tuesday before the big opening. So many final works were still taking place when I rang the bell of the white building with a porcelain coat of arms.

Received by Rodrigo Leal, Vermelho Melides’s general manager, I was taken on an exclusive tour of all the areas of this very special hotel yet to open. Well, not all. The restaurant Xtian (the owner’s first name), was already working in soft opening mode. It is not exclusive for guests, it mainly serves Portuguese traditional dishes (chef David Abreu is the maestro) and it seems to reflect all of the Alentejo’s sun.

First impression: red is not the overwhelming tone. It is present but in well balanced details, starting in the hotel’s logo, and embroidered on the white sheets and towels.

From the world to Melides

One of the first feelings you have in Vermelho Melides is that you travelled to Spain, Morocco, India, and brought back to Melides a bit of each of those places. Well, that is exactly what Christian Louboutin did.

French but with Egyptian roots, the designer travelled the world for leisure and inspiration, and when he decided to build his first hotel he made a point of bringing together some of the cultures he loves most.

We started our tour at the bar – a very special meeting point. There you cannot help but notice the intricate silver counter that takes you immediately to Spanish churches in Andalucia, and also the Moroccan poufs and carved wooden tables. Most times you cannot tell what comes from where, because there’s such a great visual balance.

Maximalist and eclectic are two words that perfectly describe Vermelho Melides, but what is impossible to define is why some elements work so well with others, and that is exactly where talent resides.

There are hints of red here and there, but it is not the overriding feature. Rather, it is incorporated where it makes complete aesthetic sense, bringing many elements together

A very personal affair

“I realised many people have the fantasy of designing or owning a hotel. I like to make my dreams a reality. That is why Vermelho was born. This project allows me to empty my storage full of the antiques and objects I have purchased over many years! Furthermore, it is an opportunity to show the excellence of many artists and artisans I admire,” explains Christian Louboutin in a ‘letter of intention’. I asked Rodrigo about Monsieur Louboutin’s involvement in the choosing of the materials and decoration in general and he assured me that he had his finger in every small detail. And there are so many!

All the 13 rooms have a different feel to them, not an easy task to find a theme in common. But I would say there is a definite solid spacious feel to all of them with very obvious attention given to the bathrooms. Big baths, beautiful tiles, Indian amenities... all invite you to spend time there, like you would do in an hammam. One of the rooms even has a beautiful bath on the terrace excusing its guests from going to the swimming pool – not huge but big enough to enjoy Melide’s country air.

There’s a shuttle to take guests to the beach (minutes away by car) and one detail that I found delicious: you can take breakfast anywhere you want – in your room, by the pool, in the Indian common room – anytime you want.

Rodrigo confirms that most of the artworks scattered around the hotel belong to the designer’s collection and were chosen, by him, to be placed exactly where they stand now. That is one of the reasons why you feel you are staying in someone’s home – Christian’s home. And that is exactly what he wants. This hotel is his home in Melides, decorated by him and his friends, and we are his guests.

And proving the seriousness of his relationship with Melides, there are two more

Vermelho units planned: one in an ancient local property overlooking the lagoon and another one with more of a resort feel that is going to be erected on a piece of land bought by Monsieur Louboutin.

Collaborating friends

When a hotel has as its base concept ‘a home to welcome friends’ it is a plus that friends make it a reality. The first one to be called was Madalena Caiado, a Portuguese architect, who had worked in Louboutin’s Lisbon house. Carolina Irving, another long-time friend, was responsible for textile creations and decoration. Another friend with an important role was Patricia Medina, a friend from Seville who connects Iberian artisans. But there are other important names to point out while discovering Vermelho Melides:

Giuseppe Ducrot: the Italian sculptor who decorated all the hotel’s façades, including the pool, inspired by baroque gardens.

Konstantin Kakanias: a Greek artist who has been a friend of Monsieur Louboutin for decades. At Vermelho, he painted the walls of two of the rooms turning them into unique pieces of art.

Fábrica de Azulejos de Azeitão: for handmade tiles, designed according to ancient tradition and know-how. This Portuguese factory was commissioned to create the beautiful hotel’s red tile floor pigmentation and also the panels of some of the bedrooms.

Vida Dura: located in Melides, this company curates handmade works by local or international artisans to bring elements that create unique atmospheres.

Villarreal: A Sevillian workshop founded in 1954 that makes incredible chiselled pieces –like the one in the fabulous Vermelho bar.

Maison Gatti: a company that custommakes handmade rattan furniture. Chairs, closet doors and other details are signed by this french atelier founded in 1920.

The Finest Art Gallery in the Algarve

Jürgen Lingl

Bronze Sculptures

ArtCatto Gallery, in Loulé www.artcatto.com

Avenida José da Costa Mealha nº43 +351 289 419 447 | info@artcatto.com

IMAGINE A TRANQUIL OASIS, A FIVE-MINUTE WALK FROM THE HEART OF LOULÉ, WITH SHADED TREES, FLOWER-FILLED GARDENS, THE SOUNDS OF RUNNING WATER AND BIRD SONG. THIS IS WHERE CHILDREN LIVING UNDER THE CLOUD OF POVERTY, OR STRUGGLING WITH LEARNING CHALLENGES, CAN DISCOVER THEIR POTENTIAL THROUGH CREATIVITY. THE ELAINE BAIN FAMILY TRUST MAKES IT HAPPEN

Words: STEFF TOFT