At this year’s Dallas Design Week, the session “Runway to Rooms: The Fusion of Fashion + Interiors”—presented by Dallas Market Center, PaperCity, and Hôtel Swexan—explored how fashion houses are shaping the spaces we live in by merging couture-level detail with interiors to create fully immersive brand worlds. The conversation featured a dynamic panel of industry leaders: Nina Magon, CEO of Nina Magon, Inc. and U.S. Design Ambassador for Maison & Objet Paris 2025; Doniphan Moore, Principal of Doniphan Moore Interiors; Jenny B. Davis, Professor of Practice in Fashion Media at Southern Methodist University; and Jessica Reid, Director of Marketing & PR for Harwood International and Hôtel Swexan. The discussion was moderated by Billy Fong, Editor-in-Chief of PaperCity.
Fashion as a Lifestyle
Designers know better than most how small elements like a pillow, paint color, or wallpaper can tell a bigger story. Ralph Lauren recognized this in the 1980s, pioneering the idea that fashion could extend into interior design identity. Missoni’s transition into home in 1997 felt like a natural extension of its textile DNA, while Armani Casa demonstrated how interiors could exist seamlessly alongside film, fragrance, and fashion, inviting clients into a complete brand lifestyle universe.
Today, social media has accelerated this shift, with people increasingly defining themselves through brand worlds: Nike, Thom Browne, Missoni, Apple, Versace Home, Dolce & Gabbana Casa, and Bentley Home. For designers, this signals a growing demand for interiors that feel as curated, expressive, and immersive as a luxury wardrobe.
Immersion Through Hospitality
In Dallas, Hôtel Swexan by Harwood Properties has partnered with Missoni for an immersive rooftop experience featuring custom cabanas in Missoni fabrics and a pop-up boutique, seamlessly blending hospitality, retail, and design.
For designers, it’s a reminder that interiors are no longer static. They’re lived experiences layered with art, dining, texture, and narrative. From the hotel’s samurai-inspired steakhouse to its curated art program, every detail becomes an extension of the brand’s cultural storytelling.
Couture Principles in Interiors
The crossover between couture and interiors was a recurring theme. Couture-level craftsmanship—such as hand-embroidered pillows, leather piping, and bespoke drapery—elevates spaces beyond design items found on a shelf.
Through his Kips Bay projects, Doniphan Moore showed how fashion elements and narrative detailing can move design beyond aesthetics. These interiors don’t just impress the eye—they offer the comfort and intimacy of a well-loved garment.
Balancing Subtlety and Status
Not every client wants the logo front and center. For some, the Versace Medusa chair is the ultimate statement piece. For others, luxury is quieter and expressed through a Loro Piana cashmere throw or a custom textile that whispers rather than shouts.
For designers, this means carefully reading each client’s relationship to branding: when to celebrate overt iconography, and when to craft an understated interior that relies on craftsmanship and detail instead of logos.
Risks, Rewards, and Authenticity
The panelists cautioned against overproduction and licensing that can weaken the luxury narrative. The “TJ Maxx effect” is real: when a brand’s aura of exclusivity fades, so does its desirability. For designers, this is a call to embrace authentic collaborations, protect craftsmanship, and insist on quality control when incorporating branded pieces into projects.
Dallas: A Rising Design Capital
The conversation also celebrated Dallas and Texas as emerging creative powerhouses in the design space. With Harwood Properties investing in culturally rich developments and leaders like Nina Magon spotlighting fashion–interior crossovers on a global scale, the region is positioning itself as a hub for innovation and inspiration. The term “Y’all Street” captures Dallas’s unique blend of finance, cowboy culture, and high design, creating an artistic culture that designers are increasingly proud to embrace.
Couture-level craftsmanship, brand storytelling, and immersive experiences are reshaping the way we design and live. For designers, the opportunity lies in balancing bold brand statements with subtle luxury, protecting authenticity, and crafting interiors that resonate with clients.
With Texas—and especially Dallas—emerging as a rising design scene, the region is poised to lead the conversation on how fashion and interiors intersect. This momentum carried into High Style at Sunset, a soirée at Hôtel Swexan celebrating Missoni’s rooftop takeover with cocktails, conversation, and couture-caliber style, presented by Dallas Market Center and PaperCity.
Content presented at Dallas Design Week | Design Edit brought to you by Dallas Market Center