Diane von Furstenberg designs Claridge's Christmas Tree 2018

Each year the grand entrance hall of Claridge's is transformed into a vision of Christmas. This year is no exception: one of fashion's most influential figures, Diane von Furstenberg, has been granted the honour of designing the annual tree. 'Claridge's is my favourite hotel in the world and my home in London', says Diane von Furstenberg. 'I was so excited to create its legendary annual Christmas Tree. My tree will be 'The Tree of Love', celebrating all aspects of love and life'.

Diane von Furstenberg designs Claridge's Christmas Tree 2018

The six-meter tall tree is garnished with 8,000 shimmering hand-painted silver leaves, hand-blown blue glass spheres and 150 glass hearts. An owl and a dove, representing knowledge and peace respectively, can be found perched on its silvery branches, while a peacock, mouse and a horse can be found standing nearby. Drawing inspiration from the ancient traditions of the astrological world, von Furstenberg has also bedecked the tree with the symbolic words peace, harmony, truth, freedom, enlightenment and wisdom. The Claridge's entrance hall has been decorated with custom-made zodiac-inspired wallpaper and a midnight blue skylight covered in stars and astrological star signs.

The fashion icon walks in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of both Chanel and Fendi, whose interpretation of festive flora in 2017 was superlatively imaginative. The sixteen-foot-high tree was unveiled, in fact, upside down, with its silver gilded roots reaching upwards to the lobby's ceiling. This tree definitely lived up to expectation: it was crowned with a mirrored star that reflected rays of light all around the space, creating an extraordinary atmosphere.

Karl Legerfeld's Claridge's Christmas Tree 2017

2018 marks the ninth year that Claridge's has invited a creative mind to transform their Christmas tree. We've seen a brightly coloured, jewel-like Sicilian Christmas tree courtesy of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana; a silvery, egg-bearing tree from Kally Ellis of super-florists McQueens and an underwater coral like tree, decorated in sea horses, fish, anemones, from Dior's John Galliano.

‘The Tree of Love’ is now on display in the Claridge's hotel lobby.