Latest / The Modern Hotelier / #286: How Hotel Uniforms Impact the Guest Experience & Employee Performance | with Mia Liu
Transcript
- The Modern Hotelier #286: How Hotel Uniforms Impact the Guest Experience & Employee Performance | with Mia Liu === David Millili: Welcome to The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. Don't forget to follow, like and subscribe and let us know in the comments what you think about today's episode. Steve, who do we have on the program today? Steve Carran: Yeah, David. Excited for today's conversation. We have Mia Liu, the creative director at Drape & Stitch. Welcome to the show, Mia. How are we doing today? Mia Liu: Hey, how are you guys? Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me. Steve Carran: Absolutely. David Millili: Good. All right, so we're gonna get started. We're gonna dive into a lightning round. We're gonna ask you some quick questions, and then we're gonna get to know you better, your personal background, your career, and then we're gonna dive into some industry topics. Sound good? Mia Liu: Sounds good. David Millili: Okay. So when you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? Mia Liu: I want to be a teacher. David Millili: Ooh, okay. What's something that you wish you were better at? Mia Liu: Making better coffee. David Millili: Okay. What's a luxury you can't live without? Mia Liu: I would definitely say travels and food, delicious food. David Millili: Okay. Those are good ones. So name a person, dead or alive, that you'd like to take to lunch. Mia Liu: Lady Gaga, my favorite. David Millili: Good. All right, so if you could have a superpower, what superpower would you like to have? Mia Liu: Definitely slowing down time or adding more hours to a day. David Millili: Hmm. That's a good one. And what is something that's on your bucket list? Mia Liu: I want to go Bora Bora with my family. Dying to go. Steve Carran: Wow, those were really good and quick answers, Mia. So now we're gonna dive into your personal background, a little bit more about you. So can you give us a little bit more background about you and how it's shaped you into who you are today? Mia Liu: Sure. So I grew up in China. Since I can remember, I always loved painting, fashion design. And so when all my friends were studying to be lawyers or doctors or accountants, I knew that's not for me. I'm really thankful for my parents. They are so supportive and let me choose my own path. So I have two university degrees, one in fashion design and one in fashion business. After I graduated from fashion design school, I realized fashion is a huge business, so I think I need to understand the business side of this industry. So I went to Canada to finish my fashion business degree. And I have worked in design, production, product development, sourcing, and marketing. So I learned a lot about this industry from many different angles. I also spent a year working with a well-known activewear brand, so I had access to high-tech fabric, which taught me a lot about comfort, movement, stretch, durability, and sustainability. And along the way, I built a very good relationship with fabric suppliers, designers, and production partners around the world. David Millili: And so having pursued your degree in fashion and apparel design, what are some of the things that you learned during your studies that you take with you today and apply to your business? Mia Liu: Sure. When I was studying at university, I learned about fabric construction of clothes, like how to make people feel good when they wear clothes, and understanding fabric knowledge is also very important. Everyone's talking about breathability, stretch, comfort, and ease of washing. So it's all knowledge I learned from school, and it applies to today. Steve Carran: That's awesome. So you live in New York City, and one of the things you mentioned you couldn't live without was good food. Do you have any good recommendations of places in New York if somebody's visiting? Mia Liu: Oh yeah, for sure. There's a steakhouse called Peter Luger. I don't know if you guys have heard about it. It's become our family tradition. It has that old school New York feeling that I really, really love. Steve Carran: Awesome. David and I are big steak guys, so we'll definitely go there next time we're in New York. Mia Liu: Yeah. And don't forget to order the Canadian bacon. That's the best. Steve Carran: Ooh. All right. Good to know. So now we'll dive into your career, how you became the creative director at Drape & Stitch. So early in your career, like you said, you were the assistant designer, a style advisor, and you were also on the marketing side. What did you learn earlier in your career that you still take with you today? Mia Liu: Oh yeah. Because I worked in those different departments, I learned a lot about different angles of fashion, and I think that is very useful knowledge I can apply today. Steve Carran: Great. David Millili: That's great. And so you were on the production side at Madison88. Then in 2022 you started Drape & Stitch. What inspired you to start your own company? Mia Liu: So as I said, I love travels. And what I observe, hotels spend so much money creating a beautiful space and amazing guest experience, but often the uniform feels outdated and doesn't feel fit in the brand. So because of my professional background, I felt there was room to create something more modern, stylish, and fitting the space. And I did see I didn't see much innovation in the uniform space, so I wanted to bring something young and a next generational approach to the hospitality industry. Steve Carran: That's great. And for those that might not be familiar with Drape & Stitch, can you share a little bit more about what you do? Mia Liu: Sure. I started Drape & Stitch in 2022 because I feel like hospitality uniforms deserve more attention. Hotels invest so much money into guest experience, but the uniforms are often overlooked. With my background in fashion and product development, I saw an opportunity to bring a more modern approach to this industry. And today, we work with hotels and hospitality brands to create uniforms that employees actually enjoy wearing. Because when employees feel good, they perform well, and the guests notice that too. David Millili: That's great. And so kind of just staying on that theme, if you were talking to a hotelier, how does Drape & Stitch differ from other uniform companies? What are some of the things that make you guys special? Mia Liu: So we think more like a fashion brand than other traditional uniform companies, but without the high fashion house pricing. We focus a lot on comfort, fit, and fabric that lasts, and all these little details that make people actually enjoy and wear the uniform. Steve Carran: That's great. That's great. So now we're gonna move into the thought leadership section of the podcast, and I'm excited about this because you're the first uniform person we've had on this podcast, so I think David and I are gonna learn a lot here. But when hotels are thinking of uniforms, what are some common mistakes they make when developing or choosing a vendor? Mia Liu: So I think one of the biggest mistakes is treating uniforms like a simple commodity purchase, when really they are connected to brand image, daily operation, and how guests feel the moment they walk in. The best uniform program usually involves multiple perspectives. Marketing people care about brand identity and guest impression. Operations people care about consistency. The procurement team cares about value. And the management team cares about overall presentation. All of those things should play a role in the process. Another common mistake is focusing on upfront cost only without looking at the bigger picture, things like durability, easy management, employee comfort, reorder system. We have a lot of clients who talk to us about their experience with previous vendors. They all have reorder issues, like fabric or color being out of stock, or it taking forever to get reorders. All of those things impact long-term value. Steve Carran: Great. David Millili: Yeah, that's well said. So what advice would you give hospitality brands that want to improve the guest experience through uniforms? Mia Liu: I would say think about the uniform as what employees wear and start thinking about them as part of the guest experience. Before guests taste the food, see the room, or experience the service, they are already forming opinions based on visual cues. The team becomes part of the brand environment. For example, before guests even step into the hotel, seeing a well-dressed bellman in a tailored wool coat already starts shaping their impression of the brand, and they feel different. Steve Carran: Yeah, I agree. And why do you think luxury hotel brands are moving away from a generic uniform program? Mia Liu: Because luxury today is all about identity and experience. More luxury hotels and boutique properties want to create something memorable and unique for their guests. They don't want to look the same as every other hotel. I recently read a very interesting Bloomberg article. The article talked about how hotel rooms around the world are starting to look more and more alike. Many hotels today are operated by large global chains, and for reasons like brand consistency, operational efficiency, or cost control, a lot of design elements get replicated across different properties. What I found very interesting was they showed two pictures. One picture was a $300 per night room, and the other was a $1,300 per night room. The funny part is even the AI tool couldn't tell which was which at first. I picked the wrong one too. I think that really highlights what is happening in hospitality today. Luxury is no longer just about having a nicer room or expensive furniture. Guests are looking for something memorable. They are looking for a story, a feeling, or an experience they can't get elsewhere. Another example is one of our clients, a heritage hotel. They have a lot of history behind the property. They are part of a larger hotel group, but they want to feel different from the other properties. So they came to us. They told us they didn't want a uniform that looked generic like many others, but they also didn't want anything too bold or costume-like. So what we did is we took a subtle design element from the property architecture and put it onto the uniform. It's a quiet luxury approach—more refined, elevated, while still telling the story of the property. David Millili: Yeah. And so your recent guest perception report had some interesting findings. What stood out the most to you? Mia Liu: What surprised me most was how fast guests form their opinions. Most people said within seconds. That means guest experience starts long before service actually happens. People are already reading the environment, the energy, atmosphere, and staff presentation almost instantly. Another thing I found really interesting was that many guests remember the staff and the interaction more than just the physical space itself. I thought that was really powerful because it shows how much human connection matters in hospitality. And honestly, it reinforced something we have believed for a long time. Uniforms are not just background details. They are one of the most visible expressions of the brand. Steve Carran: Sure. When I think of a hospitality uniform, I wouldn't say fashion-forward comes to mind. Are you seeing more hospitality uniforms become more fashion-forward? Mia Liu: Oh definitely. I think hospitality and fashion are becoming much more connected now. Hotels want uniforms that feel modern, stylish, and connected to their brand. At the same time, comfort is also important. I remember one hotel sharing an experience they had with their previous vendor, where a kitchen staff member actually fainted while working because the collar on the uniform was too tight. That really shows how important comfort and functionality are. Uniforms are not just about appearance. They directly affect how employees feel and perform through the day. We also had a spa client looking for uniforms for their masseuses. They needed a very specific type of fabric. They wanted something oil and water resistant because of the spa environment, but also something very soft, quiet, and comfortable to wear through the day. So we actually developed a custom fabric for them to achieve that balance. Nowadays the challenge is balancing style and wearability. The best uniforms have to look polished and luxurious while also allowing employees to move comfortably and feel good through their shift. David Millili: That's good. So how has Drape & Stitch been able to deliver luxury level quality while staying competitive on pricing and speed? Mia Liu: We built the company very differently from traditional uniform providers. One of our biggest advantages at Drape & Stitch is that we control the entire supply chain—from sourcing and fabric development, product development, sampling, bulk production, quality control, even shipping. Because we manage the entire process closely with a highly efficient team and a strong technology system behind the scenes, we're able to move much faster while still maintaining a very high level of quality and consistency. I've personally worked in this industry for 15 years, and one of the greatest things about building this company was being able to take all my knowledge, systems, and lessons from previous companies and build something completely new from the ground up. Because we are lean and vertically integrated, we're able to stay extremely competitive on pricing while still offering a much higher level of design, customization, and service. Everything is connected, streamlined, and flexible, which allows us to react quickly and solve problems efficiently. Clients are usually surprised that they don't have to choose between quality, price, speed, and operational simplicity anymore. Steve Carran: That's great. So Mia, what trends are you seeing right now in hospitality uniforms? Mia Liu: I think hospitality is definitely moving away from very corporate-looking uniforms. Hotels want teams to look more natural, modern, and connected to their guest experience. Comfort is also non-negotiable. David Millili: Okay. And so what is the long-term vision for Drape & Stitch? Mia Liu: We want to help change the way people think about hospitality uniforms. We want uniforms to feel modern, stylish, comfortable, and connected to the brand experience instead of feeling like an afterthought. I think hospitality fashion is entering a very exciting new era, and we're very excited to be part of it. Steve Carran: That's great. Mia, this was great. This is the part of the podcast where we turn the tables and let you ask David and I a question. Mia Liu: Oh, let me ask you a question. Do you know what size your pants? Steve Carran: What size my pants are? Mia Liu: Yes. So I have a very interesting story to tell you guys. Steve Carran: Yeah, go for it. Mia Liu: Do you know? David Millili: I know. Yeah, I know the size of my pants. Mia Liu: Okay. So you know it, and are you sure about your pants size? Like every time you go to the store, you can ask what size are your pants? David Millili: Yeah, like I usually know the waist and the length, or I know if I'm getting something that's casual, what size that is that would probably fit me comfortably. Mia Liu: What about Steve? Do you know? Steve Carran: I have an idea. Yeah, when I go, it's either between one or two sizes. I think it matters, you know, the brand, some things like that. But I have an idea. Mia Liu: The reason I ask that question is because I think nowadays most everyone thinks they wear a smaller size than they actually do. David Millili: Yeah. Mia Liu: So we have one colleague in our Drape & Stitch team who was so sure he is 38 waist size. So we gave him a 38 size pants, and he tried it on. He said, “No, it doesn’t work. It’s too small. The uniform doesn’t work.” So we measured him, and he is actually 48. And we all talk about that. It shows nowadays that people underestimate their waist size. Steve Carran: I think sometimes we keep the smaller waist size to make us feel skinnier, so maybe that’s the case. Mia Liu: Yeah. David Millili: Yeah. I can tell you real quick, I’m laughing, but in listening to you, I worked in hotels, worked my way through college, and I will tell you that as you were talking, I was thinking about all the horrible, uncomfortable, hot uniforms that I had to wear that were polyester, and you were sweating in the lights of the front desk. It was just amazing. So it was very nice to hear what you were saying. I mean, it was a long time ago when I was working there, but it was very refreshing to hear you talk. Mia Liu: Sizing is always challenging. Every time we ask our clients to give us their sizing, it takes forever because people don’t really know their sizing, and they don’t know how to measure. So at Drape & Stitch, we create a very simple sizing guideline to show the customer, “Hey, you just need to measure once, and that’s it. That’s all you need.” David Millili: Well, Steve and I are going to be measuring ourselves after this podcast to see if we really know what our size is. Steve Carran: Oh, that’s great. So Mia, this has been such a fun conversation. This is the part of the show where we introduce Jon, our producer. He’s been listening this whole time. He’s going to ask you one question before we get you out of here. Jon Bumhoffer: So Mia, I'm curious, of the uniforms you guys have designed and made and provided to hotels, do you have a favorite style or a favorite thing that you guys have made for a specific hotel or company, and what was it? What made it your favorite? Mia Liu: Yeah, of course. So we actually work with Fairmont Washington, DC. So when they came to us, they said, “I don't want to wear generic uniforms. We have a long history, and we have a beautiful chandelier hanging in the lobby. We want to do something different.” So we went to the hotel and saw the chandelier. They were inspired by the city and had many beautifully designed geometric elements. Instead of just carrying the story inside the lobby, we designed a uniform inspired by the chandelier and brought that design language into the clothing. The employees actually carry that story throughout the entire property, instead of it only living in the lobby. Jon Bumhoffer: That's awesome. Mia Liu: Yeah. And I have another example I want to share with you. This is a recent project we're working on in Washington, DC, at the Waldorf. We saw a very cool vintage mailbox sitting in the hotel. I said, “That is so interesting. We want to do something about it.” When we went back home, we designed buttons inspired by that mailbox and placed them on the clothing. It's a quiet approach. Not too bold or too loud, but a quiet luxury approach that elevates the uniform and makes it more polished. Jon Bumhoffer: That's a really good idea. I like that. David Millili: Yeah. Like I said, I love it. The uniforms I had had no real thought process at all in them. So Mia, we want to thank you. So that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier. Mia, this is where you get to let people know how they can get in touch with you, how they can find out more about Drape & Stitch. So please let everyone know. Mia Liu: If you're looking to elevate your hotel uniform, please visit us at drapeandstitch.com. We're happy to help. David Millili: Okay. Well, that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. Whether you're watching or listening, we appreciate you and hope to be with you again soon. Thanks for joining us, Mia. Mia Liu: Thank you. Steve Carran: Thank you.