Fashion designers are some of the richest people in the world, especially when they’re named Versace, Cavalli, Klein or Armani. When you can have everything you want, owning a superyacht seems like the next logical step. So it’s no surprise that many luxurious and classy boats are owned by fashion designers, who are often involved in the design process from the exterior to the interior. Here are the top yachts in the fashion industry.
Main, Giorgio Armani
Probably the most elegant boat on this list, Main is distinguished by its dark-green color and angular lines. It is everything that the Armani house stands for: luxury, class and elegance. Giorgio Armani commissioned this 65-meter yacht from the prestigious Italian boat builder Codecasa of Viareggio, Tuscany. It took 30 months to build and cost more than $60 million, not including maintenance costs. In a 2010 interview with Harper’s Bazaar Armani said that the costs are “extraordinary”, but “when you decide to have a boat like this, a thousand euros is nothing. It’s a drop in the bucket.”
Main can host up to 12 people as well as a crew of 14. It has six cabins, two saloons, lift and spiral staircase, Jacuzzi, gym, cinema and sundeck. The yacht is the location of many exclusive parties and sometimes photo shoots for high fashion magazines.
Roberto Cavalli, Roberto Cavalli
This 42-meter-long boat screams Cavalli: he named it after himself; the interior is decorated with a lot of leopard print and snakeskin, plus some mink rugs; and it has a color-changing paint that goes from gold to iridescent purple. Cavalli says many people ask him what color his boat is. “Honestly, I don’t know because it depends on what time it is. In the morning, it’s a dark blue and sometimes it’s even gold,” he says, adding that his car and helicopter are painted the same.
This exotic yacht cost $40 million to build and was especially made for Cavalli by Baglietto Yachts, an Italian company with roots dating back 176 years. The yacht has hosted many celebrity parties over the years and Cavalli sometimes even lends it to his close friends for their own parties.
Regina d’Italia, Dolce and Gabbana
This grey, minimalist superyacht measures 51 meters and was built in 2006 by the same company that made Armani’s boat: Codecasa, with the exterior done by Della Role Design, a company specialized in superyachts. Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, a Rome based studio, did all the interior design, which is markedly more extravagant than the clean cut, minimalist exterior.
The yacht has a giant, custom-built, inflatable water slide. Gold is a running theme on board: there are gold doorknobs shaped like two outstretched hands, gold-veined marble floors and gold bathroom taps adorned with sapphires and rubies. Each of the four guest bedrooms is named after an exotic animal: giraffe, elephant, crocodile, and rhinoceros. Regina d’Italia has its own gym and Jacuzzi spa.
T.M. Blue One, Valentino
Built by the Italian company Perini Navi Group (Picchiotti) in 1988, Valentino’s 46-meter-long yacht is named after his beloved parents, Teresa and Mauro, and it’s deep blue color. The sophisticated exterior design and engineering are the work of famous luxury yacht designer Gerhard Gilgenast. The interior is designed by Valentino himself who says that he preferred simplicity for his yacht. “Boats mean wicker and straw and cotton awnings. I hate the idea of a fancy boat. Velvets and carpets and all that belong on the Avenue Foch, not on the sea,” he says, adding that T.M. Blue One is more a place of peace and relaxation than a party venue.
The yacht is equipped with a Jacuzzi spa and serviced by a staff of 11. It can accommodate up to 10 people in 5 fully serviced cabins. Paintings by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol hang on the walls. All the tableware is engraved with the boat’s initials and menus – often put together by Valentino – feature lots of pasta, fresh seafood and fish delivered directly to the boat by local fishermen.
Vantage, Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein owns the sleek 45.7-meter Vantage, a two-deck yacht constructed by Palmer Johnson, a US based company known for its sports models. It was designed by Nuvolari & Lenard, an Italian studio opened in Venice in 1992 that specializes in yacht and residential design.
Vantage has six cabins upholstered in cream and brown leather. The fabrics that are used come from high-end companies like Aura, Nicotrend, and Rubelli. Each cabin has its own marble bathroom. The roofed area is decorated with skylights and offers relaxation pads and barbecue pits. This is where Calvin Klein hosted the 2011 Cannes Film Festival party. The interior bulkheads and soles are made of teak – a material commonly used in boat building due to its durability –, with Zebrano and wenge wood inserts – a less common choice due to their high price and rarity.
Eos, Diane von Furstenberg
At 93 meters, Diane von Furstenberg’s yacht is the longest on this list. Owned since 2006 by the designer and her billionaire husband, American businessman Barry Diller, Eos is one of the largest private yachts in the world. It was built by Lurssen in Bremen, Germany and styled by Bill Langton / Francois Catroux design studio at a reported total cost of $150 million. To keep Eos moored directly across his Manhattan headquarters, Diller pays about $2,000 a day.
The yacht has six bedrooms and six bathrooms, being able to accommodate up to 16 people as well as a crew of 21. It features a figurehead of Diane von Furstenberg sculpted by American artist Anh Duong. Little else is known about its interior, kept a secret by von Furstenberg and Diller. One of its former captains described Eos like “a big, high-end villa” and said that the usual travel routes were mainly between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
Moneikos, Leonardo del Vecchio
Leonardo del Vecchio is not exactly a fashion designer, but as the founder and chairman of Luxottica, the largest eyewear company in the world, fashion is his business. Del Vecchio is the proud owner of Moneikos, a 62-meter long, five deck yacht built in 2006 by Codecasa, featuring a modern and minimalist design. Moneikos, named after a Greek word which is often considered as the origin of the current name of Monaco, can accommodate up to 14 people on board and is serviced by a crew of 16 members.
There are four VIP suites, three twin cabins and the owner’s cabin with a 180-degree visibility over the bow. Guests can reach each of the five decks by either taking the internal elevator or the stairs. The yacht has two spacious saloons, first one is on the main deck and the other on the upper deck, where the lounging area features a large pool.
