Antoine Arnault: «the future of luxury is real life»

A kind man, a gentleman even. A prince of luxury without arrogance, passionate, ironic, direct. Antoine Arnault, second out of the five sons of Bernard, patron of the Lvmh group, loves life, reality and the present. He has a beautiful wife, supermodel Natalia Vodianova, and two children. He seeks the optimism of Italians, the romance of Venice, the taste of Bologna... «I am anti-metaverse», he proclaimed. ceo of Berluti, chairman of Loro Piana and head of communication for the Lvmh group, Antoine Arnault has the courage to go against the grain in industries often homogenized such as fashion and luxury. «Until the experiences of an evening with friends, a dinner at a starred restaurant or shopping at Louis Vuitton in the metaverse are at least equal to those in real life, I will say that I am anti-metaverse. That does not mean being old», he explained in this interview with Gentleman in Berluti's Parisian atelier on Rue Marbeuf, amid scents of wood and leather, artisans armed with sabers, needle and thread, paints and brushes, and shelves. In reality, Antoine Arnault is relaunching, after an enforced absence due to the pandemic, Les journées particulières, a project of his that this year takes shape for the fifth time, from october 14 to october 16, in the emblematic locations of 57 maisons in 95 cities around the world. The protagonists: from Berluti to Fendi, Dom Pérignon to Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana to Cova, Bulgari to Dior…

How did the project come about?

It was April 2011, I read an article about the Lvmh group: we were portrayed as predators attacking competitors, only the numbers spoke for us... However, the reality was, and still is, exactly the opposite: in Asnières, in Louis Vuitton's ateliers, I met passionate artisans who led me by the hand into the workshops. In Champagne I talked to vignerons who told me every detail of the latest cuvée, with tears in their eyes from emotion. So, I looked for a way to be able to change the perception of the group from the outside and came up with the idea of Les journées particulières. The meaning of it all: «Do you have the impression that we are predators and act with the rapacious spirit of finance? Well, come and see what we do and how we work. Come inside our houses, we will open our doors to you».

Your perspective on the Lvmh group is 360 degrees. However, as ceo you also have direct responsibility over one brand, Berluti. How do you hold together craftsmanship, creativity and commercial aspects?

Our job is to provide a synthesis between creativity and commerce, making a brand profitable. However, behind it all is the genius of the person who thinks up a product, that is, the designer, and the person who is able to make it, that is, the craftsman. Without their creativity, we managers stop at trivial products, on which no one would spend significant sums of money. Every brand is a music, born from creative genius, performed by an orchestra, the management, and led by a conductor, the ceo.

Looking for these creative talents is a challenge…

Creativity is that kind of magic touch that allows us to create extraordinary products. The talent of a designer is very difficult, because in turn it is rare. So is that of artisans, particularly in the contemporary world, where a football player seems to be more valuable than a vigneron or a shoemaker. Our responsibility is to make these trades interesting, explaining to young people that they are exciting, well-paid and provide a future. And this is another reason why Les journées particulières exist.

Sustainability is a fundamental part of your vision…

When you take something from nature, you must give something back. And our future, both human and economic, also depends on it. Did you know that if the average temperature increases by one and a half degrees, we will no longer be able to make champagne in Champagne? We deal with sustainability because it is good, but it is also necessary for us to continue our business, to ensure profitable activities in the long term.

What are your goals as a group?

To preserve and perpetuate the Maisons, their history, heritage and savoir faire as long as possible, perhaps for eternity. We are transitional guardians. We try to do our work as best as we can, strengthened by the fact that, being a large group, we can give ourselves some time.

What does that mean?

That we do not think or work as funds or Spacs. Our vision is 50-year minimum, we have no urgency to push and monetize. There is no independent brand or any investment fund that can afford that. Our role is to preserve, for example, the Italianness of brands such as Bulgari, Fendi or Loro Piana, via big investments and project that we have shown we can do.

Berluti, of which you are the ceo, and Loro Piana, of which you are the chairman, are two leading brands in menswear. What is elegance for you?

Marcello Mastroianni embodies it: it is a mixture of nonchalance, pride, irony that we call sprezzatura and I found it in Sergio Loro Piana, when we worked together for the acquisition. And then, it is about always being yourself, with the cab chauffeur as Emmanuel Macron, not changing personality depending on who you have in front of you.

Rarity, creativity, sustainability… What about the future of luxury?

Realer than we can imagine, people with fewer schemes and more direct contacts, more physical and less virtual experiences. (All rights reserved)