Louis Appelmans on Hotel Louis, Infinite Design, and the Art of Storytelling Through Silk Squares

In the streets of Pantin, just outside the city of Paris, MERDE’s Paris-based editor Sica Thai visited Louis Appelmans’ apartment and studio. He moved fives years ago from Brussels. With just a table and a chair in the living room, it was a true artist’s space. It was warm and cozy like a familiar friend’s apartment, but his bright and colorful designs popped out. A long glass window separated his drawing and design room from his creation room. Louis started the evening by telling us about the packaging for his scarves as he started to assemble some of the boxes.

Louis: I made the boxes when I started the brand. The packaging is very important because they represent the identity of the hotel. It’s a big match box with the hotel entrance, all hand-drawn. This is really the signature of my brand, the fact that I do everything by hand. And instead of Paris, it says Brussels, because it’s a Belgian brand based in Brussels.

Sica: Did you have a story or narrative in mind when you were starting the brand?

Louis: I wanted an infinite hotel. I designed one room of the hotel on one scarf and after that, I wanted to continue it. I thought to myself, I can just continue to make other rooms on new scarves. It could turn into a whole hotel that can be linked together. With the linking system, you can create real garments which you can see in my lookbook. There are no walls in the hotel so you can connect indoor and outdoor rooms, the restaurant to a staircase, etc. I like to create an architectural space of the hotel and make it make sense on a scarf. 

For the designs, I wanted to take all the charming things you would find in a hotel and mix them with funny things. You might see garments scattered everywhere on this scarf. You can imagine someone taking their clothes off and throwing them around. We don’t know the real story yet, this is the start of the story and you’ll see what might happen after in the next scarf.”

Sica: It’s like a movie scene!

Louis: Yeah, but the movie is linked, every room is like that.

Sica: Oh yes, so the stories are linked too. It’s kind of like a Wes Anderson movie. Are you inspired by him?

Louis: Yes, I think we are all inspired by him haha. The thing is to be my own version, but of course he’s an influence. I think more so in the characters I create. But in my creations, it is more abstract and you really interpret it in your own way.

Sica: Tell me about the characters in your lookbook. I love that each one has their own personality.

Louis: So the lookbook is a project I did with the photographer, Benoit Bethume. If you see the pictures, each character has their own story. They’re all wearing the scarf in different ways than usual, it might even be worn on their neck as a dress. I used real people from Brussels, not young professional models. They're people that I know and chose for that character. It’s very interesting to work with them as they are more theatrical than models. The really important thing is that the identity of my brand is to be for real people.

Sica: Why did you choose a scarf to be the canvas of your designs?

Louis: I think a scarf is very symbolic of luxury as well as the theme of hotels. It’s known for its high quality. Also, I think the square shape of my scarves makes it very versatile, it doesn’t matter which side is the top or the bottom. You can wear it however you want.

Sica: Would you venture into other accessories or even clothing?

Louis: Yes of course! Firstly for my designs, I would love to develop them on other high quality Italian textiles because I want to keep that standard of luxury. My scarves are designed so you can link them together and extend the collection. I want to keep this theme in my future garments, with the inspiration of a buttoned shirt. I think it’s interesting to have this buttoning system where you can attach the pieces together. Also the overall theme of a uniform which is related to the idea of the hotel. Clean, uniform, and the idea of service.

Sica: I like the idea that you can even make a really big tapestry to put on a wall! What inspires your designs?

Louis: The origin of my inspiration is my travels and staying in hotels around the world. There are so many possibilities of design in hotels, full of patterns and colors. It can be very kitsch or it can be very beautiful. I love the kitchiness and being able to mix all the patterns together. I can design infinite patterns.”

Sica: Have you been to any hotels you personally really like?

Louis: The hotel where I had my biggest inspiration was the Four Seasons in Bangkok. I think they changed it since I went. The entrance and the walls were so big. The double stairs, the indoor fountain. It was crazy.

Sica: Do you feel any differences from working in Belgium to Paris?

Louis: They’re very different cities, I really think I need a foot in both of them. Belgium is a good place to develop your artistic identity. Everyone is open minded and I felt the freedom of testing things out. Paris is where you build your business and network. When I arrived in Paris, I worked for a few big fashion houses like Kenzo, Acne Studios, and Y/Project. Even now I still work for some houses.

Sica: How do you see your clientele wearing your pieces?

Louis: At first, I imagined women who wanted to wear a chic scarf to the beach, customers who shop at Bon Marche or Printemps. But my dream would be to see people wear my scarves in their own creative ways, maybe even connecting them to their own shirts with the buttons. The aim is to create garments with them, even though I am not selling garments. But I’m not just selling a scarf either, I’m selling a concept. The concept could be a top, a dress, a skirt, anything. Recently in Brussels, there was a new boutique that stocked my pieces. We did a presentation making 5 looks with the other brands they stocked. Customers that were there wanted to buy the whole look. Even one customer bought the large scarf and she wanted it as a look for her wedding.

Sica: Sometimes you need to see a piece styled on someone and you will really be sold

Louis: This is exactly what I think I need. People need to see the pieces styled on person so they can understand the true versatility of the pieces.

Chatting with Louis Applemann, it’s clear that Hotel Louis is more than just scarves—it’s a world of storytelling, design, and playful luxury. From hand-drawn packaging to scarves that connect like rooms in an infinite hotel, his vision is all about creativity and versatility. Whether worn, styled, or even hung on a wall, his pieces invite people to experiment and make them their own. With one foot in Brussels and the other in Paris, Louis is just getting started—who knows what the next room in his ever-growing hotel will look like?