The Luxe Chronicles

Society: Technology at the Service of Women

2010-02-10T05:00:00+00:00

"Would you like the color to match your shoes or your laptop?"

Have you heard the latest news from the world of technology ladies? The clever gentlemen at Dell have put their considerable brainpower to work on developing a snazzy new product just for us! Starting next month in the U.S., Dell laptops will be available in twenty classic OPI nail colors!! But that's not all. Dell and OPI will periodically revise its color offerings based on season and popularity. Now, we can all go forth and face the world confidently knowing that our laptops complement our nail polish because after all, that is the single most important concern for women the world over. Duh!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

P.S. Thank you gentlemen. It's nice to know you think so highly of the women who purchase your products.

On Art and Fashion: Is This Marc Jacobs' Urinal?

2010-02-08T05:00:00+00:00

We all know that Marc Jacobs is an avid art collector. So, is this garbage bag a nod to Marcel Duchamp's particular brand of deconstructionism, a comment on the state of the fashion industry or simply his way of saying to all those who bought (literally and figuratively) into the myriad of Louis Vuitton "it" bags of the past decade: "the joke is one you!"? Let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Bon Weekend!

2010-02-05T09:12:34+00:00

The weather forecast is all gloom this weekend but I don't care. I have my cozy cashmere blanket, a good bottle of wine, plenty of microwave popcorn and Loic Prigent's Le jour d'avant four-part documentary for Arte which the nice people at Amazon's French site just delivered. It's going to be a lovely weekend after all.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: Boucheron Brings the Circus to Place Vendome

2010-02-04T09:30:11+00:00

You may be asking yourself what the Cirque du Soleil, a theatrical circus troupe with humble roots in street performance founded partially with a grant from the government of Quebec has in common with Boucheron, one of Place Vendome's oldest and most venerable residents and purveyor of fine jewels to various crowned heads of Europe. The link would be none other than the very colorful Canadian entrepreneur Guy Laliberté, a former stiltwalker and fire-eater, philanthropist, recent space tourist, one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world (2004) and co-founder and current majority stakeholder of Cirque du Soleil.

Laliberté also happens to be an avid art collector with a particular affinity for fine jewelry and timepieces. Moreover, thanks to the expansion of the Cirque du Soleil franchise around the globe, he now has the means to indulge his passions and celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his award-winning productions in a manner befitting the Cirque du Soleil's success. To mark the occasion, Laliberté, a private client of Boucheron, asked the 152-year old maison to design twenty necklaces each inspired by various Cirque du Soleil productions. The result is a spectacular collection dubbed Inspiria.

I had the opportunity to see the necklaces last week at Boucheron's salons in Paris where Martin Bundock, Cirque du Soleil's senior arts integration adviser graciously explained how the project came to be. Laliberté wanted each necklace to be an interpretation of various themes from Cirque du Soleil productions which range from the nomadic soul of the gypsies (Varekai) to Elvis Presley. Three of Boucheron's jewelry designers were provided with visual and written materials relating to the Cirque's current and past productions and instructed to translate them into a series of necklaces. Not surprisingly for a project of this scale, the collection took roughly three years to create from conception to production.

Successful collaborations between two strong brands with very distinct identities can be somewhat tricky. What I find compelling about the Inspiria collection is that Boucheron's artisans managed to gracefully translate the frequently esoteric themes of Cirque du Soleil's productions while infusing the pieces with just enough of Boucheron's characteristic style to be identifiably "Boucheron", no small feat. While some of the necklaces incorporate design elements which make direct reference to a particular production as is the case with the Saltimbanco necklace, others are less obvious and manage to transcend the themes to achieve something altogether unique, a testament to Boucheron's unparalleled expertise.

Each of the twenty necklaces has been replicated with one set remaining with the Cirque du Soleil and the second to be sold with a portion of the proceeds donated to One Drop, a charity founded by Laliberté to provide clean drinking water to developing countries. The collection will be on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts from March 31 to August 29, 2010 before moving to the Cirque du Soleil Foundation.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Fashion: Meditations on Style

2010-02-03T09:59:28+00:00

The upcoming V&A exhibit dedicated to Grace Kelly has had me thinking about style icons lately. More specifically, I keep wondering why icons from distant decades still have such a hold on fashion followers today. Why are we (myself included) so fascinated by images of the past? Why do women like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy still inspire so much devotion?

Our obsession with fashions of the 40's, 50's and 60's in particular is to some extent counter-intuitive. Women had far fewer style choices back then. Rigid social codes dictated everything from hemlines to cleavage and when or where a woman could show her head uncovered. Gloves were de rigueur and diamonds before nightfall were considered vulgar. Sartorial choices communicated social and marital status but with few exceptions, fashion was not the tool for self-expression it is today. By contrast, both women and men now have so much more freedom to play with fashion. In fact, never have consumers had so much to choose from at virtually every price point. So why do we keep looking back? I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Shopping: The French Art of Driving Away Customers

2010-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

"Yes, I have these in a 36.5. How badly do you want them?"

Dear Monsieur Arnault:

I had the pleasure of being in your fair city last week for work. After a hectic week shuttling between meetings and work-related social engagements I had exactly two hours to spare on Saturday and decided to reward myself with a brief shopping spree. I could have gone to either Le Printemps or Galeries Lafayette both of which were considerably closer to my hotel but I chose Le Bon Marché instead. This alone should tell you the high esteem I have for your flagship store (incidentally, I'm also quite fond of its Right Bank cousin Franck & Fils).

While browsing in the shoe department, I spotted a lovely pair of suede lace-up Pedro Garcia booties on a table in a variety of colors. My size was not on display but there was a little sign next to the shoes stating "D'autres pointures disponibles" (more sizes available) so I decided to inquire. I spotted an idle salesperson sitting on a stool by the cash register and tried politely to make eye contact but to no avail. Of course, it didn't help that she was studiously avoiding my overtures. Undeterred, I walked over with the bootie in hand and politely inquired whether she had my size. This is what transpired:

Me: Bonjour mademoiselle. Excusez-moi de vous déranger. Would you happen to have this in size 36.5?

Salesperson: What we have left is what is on the table.

Me: Yes but there's a little sign on the table that states "D'autres pointures disponibles."

Salesperson: Well that doesn't mean anything.

Me: I don't understand. Why would you put up a sign that states you have more sizes available unless you actually had more sizes available?

Salesperson: Well you never know. Sometimes there are mistakes.

Me: If it's not too much trouble, perhaps you might check and see if you do indeed have my size. One never knows.

Salesperson: I'm certain we don't but if it will make you happy (...).

Me: C'est tres gentil. Merci mademoiselle.

By this time, I was ready to follow her to the stockroom and rummage through it myself. Mercifully, she delegated the task to a colleague who was not committed to driving away paying customers (unlike her). It turns out they not only had my size but they also had a half size above and a half size below. Imagine that. I'm keen to point out that this was not the result of a linguistic barrier (the entire exchange was conducted in French which happens to be my native language). Nor was it the result of a cultural mésentente (having lived and worked in France for a number of years, I understand that "non" more often than not does not mean "no" but simply constitutes an invitation to try harder). Rather, this was nothing short of a deliberate effort to drive away a paying customer.

In the end, my polite persistence and shear stubborness paid off. But, while I walked away with my lovely Pedro Garcia booties, I left wondering how many customers faced with the same set of circumstances had simply walked away from your store turned off and empty handed. No one should have to work this hard to spend money, especially during a recession. Wouldn't you agree Monsieur Arnault?

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: Where Were You Monsieur Mitterrand ?

2010-02-01T07:14:36+00:00

While in Paris last week, one couldn't escape the large posters at news kiosques across the city featuring the current edition of L'Express magazine with French culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand on the cover striking a pensive pose accompanied by a bold yellow title asking "Mais où est passé Mitterrand?" (Where has Mitterrand gone?). Clearly, L'Express journalists haven't been following the haute couture shows very closely for right there at Christian Dior's show, conspicuously seated in the front row amidst the usual coterie of celebrities, sat Mitterrand.

I find it rather ironic that L'Express would choose to run this cover story during the haute couture collections. Who could forget Mitterrand's exhalted promise last July "to not remain inactive" in those last days when the future of Christian Lacroix's couture house hung by a thread as did the livlihood of dozens of petites mains (among the last in France). That promise to help find a solution to preserve Lacroix's couture house was never fulfilled and has been largely forgotten. What I want to know is where precisely were you Monsieur le Ministre while yet another piece of France's cultural patrimony was allowed to wither and die?

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Travel: Paris Beckons

2010-01-28T05:00:00+00:00

Dear Readers:

By the time you read this post, I will already be in Paris where work beckons. I will resume my usual posting schedule on Monday. À bientôt!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: 180 Year-Old Baume & Mercier Joins the Social Media Fray

2010-01-27T08:54:56+00:00

As announced last week, The Luxe Chronicles will be featuring interviews with various luxury brand executives to explore the ways in which they're using social media to connect with customers. The first in this series will focus on luxury watch brand Baume & Mercier. Baume & Mercier is celebrating it's 180th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion, they have launched a truly evocative social media campaign entitled: The Most Beautiful Baume & Mercier Story is Your Own. The CEO of Baume & Mercier, Alain Zimmermann and the architects of the campaign, Stephanie Bretonniere and Helene Von Arnim, graciously accepted to discuss with me the campaign and the role social media will play going forward in their relationship to the brand's many fans and customers.

1. There has been a great deal of reluctance within the luxury industry to join the social media fray. What made Baume & Mercier take the plunge? Why now?

AZ: It was a combination of events. Baume & Mercier already had a Facebook page but up until now, we had been mostly passive observers of our community. We saw the brand's 180th anniversary as an opportune moment to become more actively involved. We were looking for a way to honor the brand's rich history and social media offered us a creative way to do this while engaging with our customers and fans of the brand in a way that was genuine and meaningful. In a way, this campaign combines Baume & Mercier's past (our history) and future (our growing online community).

SB: I don't think any luxury brand can ignore the power of social media. Up until recently, our industry had a very precise, controlled way of communicating with clients. I think the time now has come to listen and converse with them.

2. What was the genesis of the campaign? Where did the idea or concept come from?

AZ: When I arrived at Baume & Mercier in October 2009, I wanted to understand the brand's history so the first thing I did was delve into the archives. What I found was astounding, a true family saga that permeates the entire history of the brand. I've been in the luxury watch industry for fifteen years and even I discovered things about the brand that surprised me. I felt strongly that this rich history should be shared with our customers and fans of the brand.

3. Was the campaign designed exclusively in-house by Baume & Mercier or were you assisted by an outside agency?

AZ: I would describe it as very much a team effort. The architects of the campaign are Helene Von Arnim, our Internet and E-Business Manager and Stephanie Bretonniere, our International Public Relations and Communication Project Manager.

HV: Yes, we worked with our outside web agency, Details. They helped us coordinate all the technical aspects and helped us integrate the various elements of the campaign.

SB: We provided the substance such as the themes, the history of the brand and the various anecdotes we wanted to share with our customers and fans. Details provided the technical expertise.

4. What is Baume & Mercier's ultimate goal for this campaign? Do you have a specific audience in mind?

AZ: Baume & Mercier watches tend to enter the life of the owner at precise moments of their lives such as a wedding anniversary, birthday or the birth of a child. Many of our clients and other fans of the brand were already very active on Facebook and in various watch forums. They were already sharing stories and anecdotes about their watches and posting images. We wanted to give our customers an opportunity to share their stories with us and also we wanted to share the brand's stories with them. In other words, we wanted to foster the notion of community or family if you will.

5. So far, what kind of response have you received from Baume & Mercier enthusiasts?

AZ: The campaign was launched last week so it's still somewhat early to tell. Thus far, the reactions have been extremely positive. In fact, I would say that the results already surpass our expectations. To date, we have 874 fans on Facebook and 2037 followers on Twitter.

6. Are the founder's journals genuine? Do they form part of your archives or did you have to obtain them from his family?

AZ: They are indeed genuine. We found one of the journals which belonged to Louis-Victor Baume (pictured above) in our archives and we recently learned from the founder's family that there is at least one more journal that has surfaced within the family. We look forward to studying its contents closely and sharing the best anecdotes with the Baume & Mercier community. They provide valuable insights into the brand's values and traditions.

SB: The practice of keeping a daily journal was actually a tradition within the family. They were very committed to documenting the key moments of their lives and it so happens that the family's history is intertwined with the brand's.

7. One of the key aspects of your campaign is the notion of family hence the series of short videos featuring the founder's great-granddaughter, Madame Simone Gaudard. Did you have a difficult time persuading her to take part in the campaign?

AZ: We're very proud to say that Madame Gaudard has been an enthusiastic supporter of the campaign from the very start. In fact, not only did we not have to persuade her to take part but we didn't even have to explain to her what social media were - she is 82 years old. It turns out she was already on Facebook. Her son and his family live in Chicago and they communicate primarily via Facebook and Skype.

Madame Gaudard takes great pleasure in recounting her family's history and I think while she was a bit surprised at first by our invitation (she didn't think people would want to hear the stories of a grandmother), she was happy to share her memories with us. She is quite understandably very proud of her family's heritage and remains a proud supporter of the brand. We're honored that she accepted our invitation.

SB: We've had the pleasure of getting to know Madame Gaudard throughout the making of this campaign and we've been so impressed by her warmth and generosity. She is a natural storyteller and I think her spontaneity and genuineness really comes through in her video testimonials.

8. What have you learned from this first foray into social media?

HV: We've been overwhelmed by the warm reactions of our customers and fans. They're sharing their stories about how they came to own their watch and what it means to them. Since we're in the midst of the SIHH here in Geneva, we've also gotten a lot of feedback from our distributors and even journalists. They too have remarkable stories to share about the brand. Up until know, I was unaware of the extent of the respect and enthusiasm there is for Baume & Mercier. It's all very emotional, for them and for us.

9. Would you do it again? If so, are there things you would do differently?

HV: The experience has been extremely positive. In our minds, this campaign was never meant to be a "one shot" deal, far from it. This represents for us a cornerstone of our social media strategy. We want to continue cultivating our relationships with our customers and fans via this online community. This is just the first step.

SB: We want this to be an exchange, a sincere dialogue between Baume & Mercier and its fans and customers. This campaign is only the start of that conversation. We would love to see it continue to evolve.

10. Once a brand has a social media presence (Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.), it obviously requires monitoring and upkeep. What does this represent for you internally in terms of resources? Will you have a social media manager?

HV: It is something we're currently working on. We're keenly aware that now that we've entered the fray, we cannot afford to disappoint our community of customers and fans. It's important for us to have someone whose sole responsibility is to look after the community and respond quickly to questions and follow-up reliably with members of the community. In some ways, we see this as an online extension of Baume & Mercier's offline service culture which is recognized for its excellence. For us, service excellence is at its core a mark of respect towards our customers.

SB: In many respects, the challenge for us is greater now that we've assembled this online community than before. We want to continue to reach out to them and provide them with quality content and information.

Many thanks to Alain Zimmermann, Helene Von Arnim and Stephanie Bretonniere for taking time out of their hectic SIHH schedules to discuss their campaign with The Luxe Chronicles. You can learn more about Baume & Mercier by consulting their Facebook page or by following them on Twitter.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Fashion: Couture is Not in the Eye of the Beholder

2010-01-26T08:38:03+00:00

I expect a bit of hyperbole from marketeers and public relations staff. It is after all their stock in trade. This said, I do get rather irritated when they use words that are either misleading to the reader or just plain absurd. Case in point: I received a press release recently entitled "New Collection Brings Couture to the High Street". The title should already be setting off alarm bells in your head.

The press release is in fact hyping a new high street collection which is to be sold exclusively at John Lewis stores (a U.K. chain of department stores roughly akin to Macy's in the U.S.). "Couture" at John Lewis? Really?? The statement goes on to claim that the collection in question which retails for between 100 and 169 GBP "(...) offers the wearer luxury timeless pieces at affordable prices."

Couture, unlike beauty, is not in the eye of the beholder. In fact, the term "couture" has a very precise meaning. Without wanting to delve into the fine print of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture's regulation governing the couture industry, it's enough to know that "couture" refers to the very upper echelons of the fashion industry. Moreover, it refers to garments that are painstakingly crafted by artisans whose level of skill is unparalleled and who frequently toil for months on one single garment. This is what accounts in part for the eye-popping price tag attached to the average couture confection. In other words, it is neither affordable nor available on the high street.

I have nothing against either John Lewis as a retailer or this particular collection of high street garments. It's just that couture as an industry is struggling to remain relevant in an increasingly harsh economic climate. While there are many factors to blame for this sad state of affairs, the fact that we so loosely toss around the term with little regard to what it actually means (most of the time incorrectly) is not helping. It shows both a lack of understanding of the nature of the craft and ultimately a lack of respect for what it represents. The term "luxury" has been robbed of its meaning thanks to overuse by marketeers. I would hate for this to happen to the term "couture" as well. Say what you mean and mean what you say!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles