The Interview: CDLP’s Andreas Palm on crafting a collection with Lake Como’s Passalacqua hotel

Swedish luxury essentials brand CDLP, which launched in 2016 with the goal to "revolutionise men’s underwear", has today launched an exclusive capsule collection with Passalacqua hotel on Lake Como in Italy – named the world’s best hotel in 2023 and described as "an 18th Century masterpiece reimagined as an intimate retreat for friends, lovers and leisure seekers alike".

With just 24 rooms surrounded by spectacular terraced gardens, the villa has been restored by the De Santis family into "a private haven of charm and elevated hospitality".

Following CDLP’s partnership with Grand Hotel Tremezzo in 2018, this marks the brand’s second creative collaboration with the De Santis family. The result is a curated wardrobe of refined leisurewear, including pool sets, tailored swimwear, relaxed t-shirts, and a hand illustrated silk scarf - crafted in the heart of Como town.

Drawing inspiration from 1930s travel ephemera, such as vintage postcards, hand-drawn souvenirs and sun-bleached advertisements, the collection "invites wearers to embrace the nostalgia and romance of a slower pace".

The accompanying campaign, shot on location at Passalacqua by CDLP co-founder and Creative Director, Christian Larson, stars "stylist, aesthete and enduring icon of timeless design", Robert Rabensteiner.

Andreas Palm, also co-founder of CDLP, tells TheIndustry.fashion how the new pairing with Passalacqua hotel came about...

Why is partnering with the Passalacqua hotel such a great move for the CDLP brand?

Partnering with Passalacqua feels like a natural extension of everything CDLP stands for. Our brand has always lived at the intersection of design, travel and elevated everyday experiences, and no place in the world embodies that intersection quite like Passalacqua.

Over the years, we’ve collaborated with iconic properties like Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Cuixmala and Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel. These partnerships make sense for us as our products are designed for life’s finer moments, and our passion for travel has always been part of the brand’s DNA.

But, this one is different. Valentina De Santis, the owner of Passalacqua, and I have been close friends for over two decades, and watching her shape Passalacqua into the world’s most celebrated hotel has been nothing short of inspiring. From the moment I first stepped onto the property, I knew we had to create something together. Passalacqua isn’t just a hotel, it’s a place where time slows down, where every detail is intentional, and where luxury feels deeply human. That philosophy mirrors everything we strive for at CDLP.

What is the connection between a luxury Swedish underwear brand and an Italian boutique hotel on Lake Como?

At first glance, a Swedish underwear brand and an Italian boutique hotel might seem like an unexpected pairing. But, for us, this collaboration is deeply personal - and perfectly natural. Valentina and I have been close friends since 2005, and I’ve followed her journey as one of the world’s most visionary hoteliers with great admiration. In 2018, CDLP partnered with her family’s first property, Grand Hotel Tremezzo. It was a collaboration that felt effortless because of our shared values - a love of craftsmanship, a respect for heritage and a belief in creating beauty through detail.

CDLP and Passalacqua both represent a lifestyle defined by joy, ease and refinement. It’s the kind of quiet elegance that doesn’t need to announce itself. This is where ‘joie de vivre’ meets ‘dolce far niente’. Our worlds may look different on the surface, but at their core they’re built on the same philosophy, to elevate the everyday and inspire a more intentional way of living.

Who is the real target market?

Our core audience is the global traveller, someone who moves through the world with curiosity and intent. They value quality and comfort, but they’re also looking for meaning in the things they bring with them: craftsmanship, culture and a sense of style that feels personal rather than performative.

These are people who appreciate design, but don’t chase trends. They stay at places like Passalacqua not just for the beauty, but for the experience - the feeling of being somewhere considered, thoughtful, and quietly extraordinary. That’s the same feeling we aim to create with every piece we design.

What are the key pieces?

The standout pieces in the Passalacqua capsule are the printed pool suit and the silk scarf, both designed as wearable postcards from one of the most extraordinary places on earth. The print itself is hand illustrated. It’s a dreamlike rendering of the Passalacqua property, subtly infused with elements from the CDLP universe. It’s not just a graphic, it’s a story. One that captures the spirit of Lake Como, the elegance of the hotel and the sensibility of our brand. They’re pieces designed for slow mornings, late afternoons and everything in between - equal parts memory and statement.

What makes it different from the current SS25 CDLP mainline collection?

This collaboration gave us the opportunity to take creative liberties we don’t always explore in the mainline. With CDLP, our collections are typically rooted in a more restrained, architectural palette. But, for Passalacqua, we leaned into the romance of the setting - the ochres, the greens, the shimmer of Lake Como at golden hour.

We introduced hand drawn prints and richer colours to reflect the spirit of the property - its charm, its history and its cinematic beauty. It’s a more expressive take on the CDLP aesthetic but still grounded in the same principles of thoughtful design, elevated materials and timeless appeal.

What does CDLP do best?

At CDLP, we bring joy to the everyday by creating first-class essentials. Pieces that elevate how you feel, not just how you look. What we do best is combine thoughtful design with purposeful materials, crafting garments that are as refined as they are functional. It’s about intentionality. Nothing is added without reason, and nothing is compromised in the pursuit of quality. Whether it’s underwear, swimwear or home wear, we design with one goal in mind: to make the ordinary feel extraordinary.

Does the partnership help to elevate the CDLP brand?

Absolutely. A collaboration like this doesn’t just elevate the brand, it deepens the story we’re telling. CDLP has always been about more than products. It’s about a way of living - intentional, refined, rooted in culture and experience. Partnering with Passalacqua allows us to express that narrative in a vivid, tangible way. It shows where we are, what inspires us, and how we see the world.

When a brand and a place share the same values such as attention to detail, timeless design and a love for beauty that feels lived-in, the result isn’t just a collection. It’s a conversation. And that’s exactly what this partnership represents.

The CDLP x Passalacqua capsule collection is being sold from today, 29 May, exclusively at Passalacqua and online boutique senseoflake.com, as well as on the CDLP website.