THE GLOBAL DRAMA
Driven by an undying dedication to quality and pragmatic luxury, FORBIDDEN CITY is Geneva's lifestyle brand, where Swiss quality finds itself entwined in the fabulous global drama of its founders.
WELCOME TO FORBIDDEN CITY
We design and manufacture handmade luxuries in our unique universes of jewellery, garments, leather goods, furniture, perfumes & cosmetic formulations in our ateliers petites mains in Switzerland and Italy. Here you will find insights into our story, how we became who we are today, and where we are heading.
Our loyal fans know us as the 'by invitation only' luxury brand, where we visit you, no matter where on earth you are. In a world of ever increasing digitisation, FORBIDDEN CITY brings parts of our collection to center stage in our e-boutique.
FLIGHTS OF FANCY
Rooted in the naiveté of intellectual obsession, FORBIDDEN CITY was born from a fantastic idea - an idea of perfection, quality, world-travel, and trading with familiar faces through a network of those in the know. What started humbly in 2004 with a small collection of jewelry and grew into a 'those in the know' niche brand featuring tailored, pragmatic and nuanced noble fibre garments, leather goods, interior accessories, furniture, and perfumes & cosmetics. Starting in the early 2000's the brand's global popularity kept the creators on long-haul flights of fancy putting their fingers on the pulse of globalised fashion and yielding remarkable designs and luxurious products for an invited clientele.
EVERY CITY IS A FORBIDDEN CITY
By 2008, the hallmark of the brand was "Every City is a Forbidden City." For those that received a hand-written thank you note from our CEO, the stationery marked with this slogan wasn't hyperbole but rather an insight into ethos. Whether it be a gho-wearing Bhutanese butler carrying your FORBIDDEN CITY valise to the plane in Paro or a client clipping on a pair of one-of-a-kind emerald and black jade earrings before awards night in Los Angeles, the brand and its influence stretched far and wide to 'wherever you are we are.' Global in nature, highly mobile, and unrelenting in a quest for discovery, FORBIDDEN CITY still follows its clients according to their life's rhythm.
HOSPITALITY ICONS
With a footprint of 22 properties, we made headlines & bylines creating retail experiences with our own fineries for Aman Resorts. Some might say, when it came to retail, we taught them everything they know. As our only iteration of brick-and-mortar stores, we created beyond luxurious mementos for adventurers to the far corners of the globe. Cashmere in the Caribbean, Crocodile in Courchevel, Bags in Bhutan - we both retained, perfected, and elevated our reputation for 13 years, doing what we do best - putting nuance into luxury. Our long brush with Aman and its original cast of characters inspired us too; in 2017 we decided to acquire and operate our own hotel in Malta - opening in 2024.
DRAMA AS AN ASSET
By 2017, FORBIDDEN CITY was known in certain circles as the marque without the marquee; a brand that did not need a billboard. At home in Switzerland, a place where the creative duo behind the brand could breathe easy, rest and create, FORBIDDEN CITY was poised to begin its first business-to-business cooperation outside of hospitality retail. With clients such as Global Jet Concept, Luxaviation Group, Execujet, UBSUBS and many others, FORBIDDEN CITY still creates time-trusted luxuries for a variety of private jet companies, banks and hotels to wow their most valuable clients or to decorate their most prized assets. In 2020 we established our own furniture design and manufactory using our hallmark Italian fabrics and European furniture making know-how in order to create masterpieces for the home. With products that fulfil the need of a full range of lifestyle requirements in our traditional business, its no wonder that clients whom we have dressed for nearly twenty years helped to organically realign our focus on incorporating the brand into their most precious asset, their homes. Today, a team of specialists at FORBIDDEN CITY consult on the integration of our nuanced luxuries into environments from Malta to Mauritius and Santiago to Singapore. Such good fortune comes when your first rule of thumb is "never say no."
