From Istanbul to Bucharest, Budapest, and Paris on the Venice Simplon Orient Express – the train where every night feels like fashion week
The connection between the Venice Simplon Orient Express and the world of high fashion might not be immediately evident, but on closer inspection, the two are intrinsically bound together. In 1984, revered photographer Guy Bourdin boarded the historic train to shoot a mythologised editorial for Vogue Paris, conjuring up the not-implausible story of a glamorous watch thief stowing herself away in its wooden cabins, expensive timepieces stuffed into her stockings.
A few decades on, in 2009, Karl Lagerfeld sent Chanel muse Audrey Tatou careening down its corridors in The Night Train – a cinematic epic of a campaign created for its heady signature fragrance, No. 5. And then, in 2012, Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs looked to the locomotion as the setting for his own photo series, enlisting Steven Meisel to capture his AW12 collection amid the luxurious banquettes and sofas of the buzzy bar cart. The move made sense: the designer showed the same offering as part of a stellar show in front of the train itself earlier in the season.
Then, in 2018, the train’s fashion ties were forged for good, as luxury conglomerate LVMH invested a huge £2.5 billion in Belmond – the British company that owns the Venice Simplon Orient Express, as well as a series of bougie hotels across the globe, including Venice’s Hotel Cipriani, Portofino’s Hotel Splendido, Castello di Casole in Tuscany, and the sprawling, pink-washed Mount Nelson estate in Cape Town, South Africa.
Since LVMH’s acquisition, a series of collaborations which straddle the line between luxury travel and fashion has followed, with Belmond joining forces with photographers like Gucci go-to Coco Capitan and Sam Youkilis to paint the train’s various journeys in their own unique lights, and the support of rising runway talent and former Dazed 100er Thebe Magugu, who showed his latest collection in South Africa with support from LVMH and Belmond.
With Venice Simplon Orient Express journeys spanning from one-night adventures taking revellers from Paris to Venice, from London to the party hotspot of historic Prague, and right through to the sunshine-hued Italian destination of Portofino, in recent years Belmond has captured the imagination of a new generation, by throwing blowout LGBTQ+ and queer extravaganzas: 2023 saw guests join a champagne-fuelled party DJ’d by house legend Honey Dijon, with yet more to come across the next 12 months.
And of course, in such impressive surroundings, the only option is to get dressed up: the looks actually seen on the train’s mammoth journey, which I took from Istanbul to Paris across six days, rival the kind of couture usually relegated to the front rows of the French capital’s biannual fashion weeks. Diners in Schiaparelli and Dior gowns swish through the dining cars at dinner, while later, from midnight onwards and into the small – or not-so-small – hours of the morning, depending on your inclination, guests gather around the piano to sing hits by Abba and Britney Spears in sequined Versace and Fendi looks that glitter in the low light of the antique lamps.
On board the Venice Simplon Orient Express, every night is a fashion show, with every selfie snapped backdropped by a setting seemingly ripped straight out of an issue of Vogue. In my own tightly packed suitcases were sparkling tinsel gowns by New York to Paris upstarts Vaquera, former Fashion East family member Karoline Vitto, and frou-frou Sunday best Simone Rocha – only Sunday best doesn’t exist on the train, and I probably wouldn’t have looked out of place in the designer’s bouncy ruffles eating scrambled eggs at breakfast.
It’s not just the train that’s spectacular when it comes to fashion, though. The four destinations on the crown jewel trip from Istanbul through Bucharest and Budapest, to Paris are hubs of creativity and home to a new wave of rising fashion talent, and while the train might be the main event, there’s a strong argument for getting stuck into the sartorial side of each city between lounging about in your pyjamas on board. With that in mind, here’s your guide to the four destinations and what they have to offer fashion-wise.
ISTANBUL
Istanbul is where the magic all begins, as people pile onto the station platform where the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express awaits to drink Turkish tea, have their luggage taken aboard, and check-in ahead of the journey. Though many choose to fly to the Turkish city immediately ahead of departure, Istanbul is well worth a few days spent exploring, particularly for fans of fashion. From haggling bargains on traditional textiles and garments found in its labyrinthine covered markets, to those looking to spend their time (and perhaps, some money) trawling high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior in the Nişantaşı neighbourhood, there’s something for everyone.
Beyond shopping, Istanbul is slowly cementing its status as one-to-watch when it comes to independent talent. The city’s fashion school is one of the most prestigious in the region, with a new gen of students taking an experimental approach to fashion: recent graduates have been intent on dismantling notions of gender and exploring identity through their esoteric collections, while Istanbul Fashion Week has given rise to international designers like Koral Sagular and Dilara Findikoglu, who both switched Turkey for London but remain devoted to bringing their heritage to a new audience via their own avant-garde, eponymous lines.
BUCHAREST
With Bucharest the first destination after night one sleeping (or maybe not sleeping) aboard the train, you’ll probably be nursing a pretty substantial hangover – the martinis in the bar cart are not for the faint of heart. It is, however, imperative that you get your act together, grin and bear it, and get off to see what the capital of Romania has in store for you – if you can’t do the time, don’t commit the crime etc.
With an easy walking tour first on the agenda, down pretty cobbled streets in the old town, and dotted amid Brutalist buildings that form relics of the Soviet era, are endless tourist shops and traditional stores selling the embroidered smock tops and circle skirts that form the country’s national dress.
Also great in Bucharest are the flea markets, where stalls selling second hand sportswear, trashed denim, and brilliantly threadbare band tees stand shoulder to shoulder with independent designers – on my own visit, I picked up a one-of-a-kind hammered silver pendant, a silk printed scarf, and an upcycled vintage leather frame bag bearing textural panels that didn’t look too removed from the kind of thing industry darling Loewe is churning out right now.
BUDAPEST
Budapest’s status as a go-to party destination in the late 90s, when clandestine clubs and bars started popping up in the crumbling ruins of old buildings – from houses and flats, through to big former government headquarters. Its underground spirit still pervades to this day, with lenient licensing laws allowing mega clubs like Instant to carry on through to all hours of the day – it’s easy to get lost in its winding corridors and nooks and crannies for hours that snap by in a second, before stumbling out into the smoking pavilion and realise the sun is well and truly up and shining.
People-watching in Budapest, then, is a pretty good way to while away an afternoon, hanging out at one of the city’s many cafés drinking coffee as Budapest’s coolest kids slip past on skateboards and congregate on its pavements. Also worth a visit is the Nanushka flagship store: founder Sandra Sandor started the brand in Hungary in 2005, with operations for the global brand still rooted in the region.
PARIS
There’s not much about the Paris fashion scene that’s not already been said: the city is where Haute Couture was conceptualised after all, and remains the jewel in the crown of the big four fashion cities, hosting a huge six fashion weeks a year (across men’s, women’s, and couture). For those looking to splash the cash, Galeries Lafayette should be a go-to, with all your fave designer labels under one gorgeous glass roof, while on Avenue Montaigne you’ll be given the five-star treatment at Givenchy, Chanel, and more, right within spitting distance of the Eiffel Tower.
For those with more conceptual fashions on their mind, The Broken Arm is a must-visit: the small boutique has cultivated a roster including Comme, Margiela and Raf Simons, and Elavastor is a worthy stop, too, with Vaquera, Blumarine, and Chopova Lowena all lining its rails. The new Vuitton restaurant, on the top floor of the luxury behemoth’s new Pont Neuf HQ, should be on your list for a refreshment pit-stop, before you hit must-see vintage stores including Palace Callas and the brilliantly named Thank God I’m a VIP.
It’s not just shopping Paris excels at in the fashion stakes though: a quick flick through Time Out will shed light on monumental exhibitions happening any time of the year, with recent standouts 1997 Big Bang, an Iris Van Herpen show, and a full-on Schiaparelli extravaganza.
To read more about the Venice Simplon Orient Express experience, head here.