Plans are still being finalized, however, including the location of the initiative and the number of maisons that will participate. “What I can tell you is that many of our maisons — the big ones, but also the smaller ones — want to be present in Shanghai during this weekend and showcase a little bit of their savoir-faire,” Arnault tells Vogue Business in China’s Yiling Pan. “Maybe it will be a couple of artisans per maison that will come and present their art; maybe it will be a master class with one of the designers, who will explain the creative process. But every maison present — not all 75 — will have people showcasing their best savoir-faire.”
He continues: “ LVMH and most of our maisons are present in China. But we rarely present our savoir-faire there, or we do it through advertising or films. In real life, it’s very different. We are fortunate to have here [in France] or in Italy, all our artisans, our ateliers. So we can just take our car and have the chance to see it. In China, [to showcase] our French or Italian savoir-faire is more difficult.”
While Arnault says Journées Particulières is not an answer to the luxury downturn, he admits that the initiative is particularly relevant today. “Our consumers are more interested in craft,” he explains. “When you look at the few maisons that are overperforming right now in the industry or in the sector, you see Loro Piana, Berluti, and in our bigger maisons, the lines are extremely linked to craftsmanship, heritage, and savoir-faire. It does not mean that the fashion part of these businesses will not grow again in the near future. It’s just trend cycles, and right now, the emphasis is more on craft and the true value of a product rather than its fashion aspect.”
Journées Particulières is also a smart way to engage with the audience in a manner that’s not transactional. Arnault insists that it’s not an event targeted at customers. “It is an event that is open to everyone, that is free. And if some customers wish to come and discover our expertise, they can, but it is for customers, potential customers, but also non-customers,” he explains. It may also spark vocations among young visitors, at a time when the sector is struggling with a shortage of skilled artisans.
Elsewhere, in Madrid, Loewe will host a weaving leather workshop in its flagship store, Casa Loewe. In South Africa, LVMH-owned luxury hospitality brand Belmond will open its Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town. Stateside, the group will open five sites including Tiffany’s jewelry design and innovation workshop and Chandon’s winery in California.
Arnault dismisses the idea of adding augmented reality visits using smart glasses: “A lot of different agencies pitched: ‘Let’s have everything built by AI.’ But it’s almost the opposite of the purpose. We want to showcase very simply and very openly what our artisans do, how they express their art. They are proud of what they do, and rightly so.”
