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Purveyors
of Style and Splendor
Cartier. LVMH. Mikimoto. Swarovski. You know the names.
You’ve experienced the elegance. Now four leaders
of these top luxury-goods companies discuss their brands,
their methods – and how they’ll spend their
holidays. |
Interviews
by Jasmine Mir |
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Stanislas
de Quercize,
president and CEO,
Cartier
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How
do you define luxury?
I believe that luxury is a piece of eternity here on
earth. This is a desire, a dream to which we are always striving.
Since eternity on this earth is not actually possible, it is
a dream that we pursue even though – or perhaps because
– it is unreachable or never enough.
What is the greatest luxury you possess?
Love, of course. It is how we most hope to achieve eternity
on earth.
I saw recently the Cartier panther ring on indie movie
star Chloe Sevigny’s fall wish list, and I am sure the
Cartier pieces are on the wish lists of many of New York’s
society mavens as well. Cartier has an incomparable pedigree
but it also a trendsetter – how does the brand have such
wide-ranging appeal?
Cartier is art. Each piece is like a work of art, and art is
timeless in its appeal. Also, the objects are expressions of
emotion, love and friendship. The appeal of these emotions cannot
go out of style. When people open the red box – red being
the color of the Cartier box as well as the color of emotion
and passion – there is a feeling of the new, but also
of permanence. Love may last for one day or for a lifetime,
but the feeling captured by these expressions of love have a
unique permanence.
Much of the brand’s appeal is based on heritage
and legacy – what legacy would you like to leave?
I would like to use my talents to welcome people to discover
the truth about Cartier, which lies in the emotion behind
every piece in the collections. I would also like to fulfill
Louis Cartier’s wish that any person who enters a Cartier
store leaves two inches taller, feeling like a king.
Other luxury-goods houses have different cultural pedigrees,
such as Italian design houses that harken back to their unique
heritage. Is Cartier quintessentially a French luxury house?
There is definitely the French touch, of course, but I
think that because of the emotion and the art involved with
each piece in the collections, the message of Cartier is universal.
Some pundits are making conservative estimates about
consumer spending this holiday season. Is your own forecast
more optimistic?
I am always optimistic because Cartier is an expression of love.
In good times or bad, people want to say, “I love you,”
even to themselves. In good times, of course, expressions of
love are important, but equally in more difficult times. People
have the timeless need to express their love, friendship and
devotion.
How will you spend the holidays?
As long as I am with friends, family and a nice bottle of champagne,
I will be happy!
What do you think is the perfect holiday gift?
A surprise given with passion and emotion. Perhaps something
in a red box! |
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Daniel Lalonde,
president and CEO,
LVMH Watches & Jewelry
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What
drew you from Nespresso to join LVMH?
LVMH provided me with the opportunity to work with an outstanding
roster of companies and to draw from my experience developing
premium brands. I had successfully done that in the wine sector
in France and, most recently, with Häagen Dazs in Europe
and Nespresso worldwide.
How would you characterize the brands in the watch and jewelry
portfolio?
Every brand in LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry division has
its unique and distinct positioning. TAG Heuer is the reference
in luxury sports watches; Dior is the cutting-edge fashion watch;
Omas is the quintessential fine writing instrument; and Manufacture
Zenith is the manufacturing brand of high-end mechanical watches.
They all have strong brand recognition that we developed with
long-term objectives in mind, consistent with the heritage and
the positioning of each brand.
Dior is a brand with numerous faces – John Galliano’s
designs for womenswear and couture, Hedi Slimane’s noteworthy
menswear and a bold perfume and cosmetics line. How would you
describe the Dior timepiece collection and the woman who is
drawn to it?
The majority of the collection is designed by couture and ready-to-wear
designer John Galliano, so these watches reflect the latest
themes. The customer knows them and loves Dior – she wears
the latest trends. Dior’s Fine Jewelry designer Victoire
de Castellane has also created a series for the collection called
La D de Dior. This watch is timeless and reflects Victoire’s
own sensibility, with precious stones and a retro feel. Each
Dior designer has a different aesthetic and interpretation of
the brand, but all Dior consumers share a passion for cutting-edge
fashion and design.
TAG Heuer’s branding as a luxury sports-watch
line has been quite successful under your leadership. Are you
pursuing similar marketing strategies for all the brands?
We have ambitious goals for all of our brands. They each have
strong positionings that require ad hoc marketing approaches.
We develop our brands drawing from their DNA, heritage, target
audience, distribution, etc. TAG Heuer’s successful formula
might not work for Dior and Omas and vice versa; however, we
leverage the synergies that develop from having them all under
one umbrella.
Many pundits are making conservative estimates for spending
this holiday season. Are you optimistic?
We’re optimistic about the holiday season. In fact, our
sales are up 50 percent compared to the same period last year.
We’re coming up with innovative integrated marketing concepts
and communicating our product line in the appropriate media.
We believe in building an emotional connection with our customers.
This philosophy led us recently to launch a Customer Relationship
Program for TAG Heuer that will enable us to build meaningful
relationships with our customers.
How will you spend the holidays?
Skiing in Colorado with my wife and children.
What is your idea of a perfect holiday gift?
A complete surprise that I don’t necessarily need. |
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Meyer Hoffman,
COO,
Mikimoto America
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To
the public, Mikimoto is a name synonymous with the highest quality
and design in pearls. How would you describe the brand’s
identity?
We are the originator of cultured pearls. In 1893 our founder,
Kokichi Mikimoto, developed the process for culturing pearls
and, today, almost all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls
cultivated by his technique. We have set the standard for pearl
quality by creating a grading system that has become the industry
benchmark.
Although people all over the world have fallen in love
with the luxurious pearl pieces, not everyone knows about the
gorgeous diamond and colored-stone collections. Do you hope
to expand these collections in the coming years?
Yes, I do. We have a team of international designers from Italy,
France, Asia and the United States who create new and innovative
pieces to complement our traditional strands and studs.
Although classic, Mikimoto designs also innovate and
set new jewelry standards. How do you strike this balance between
the classic and the current?
Pearls in and of themselves are classic gems. By creating new
settings and clasps and adding precious stones, our designers
have updated our line to move in sync with fashion trends. We
also offer new ways to wear pearl strands … we have an
assortment of spirals, spheres and rondels that can be strung
to create a new, unique look.
Mikimoto’s heritage lies in the Japanese appreciation
for high-quality pearls, and the beautiful vintage Mikimoto
pieces reflect this heritage. Do you feel that the brand has
a universal message tied to the company’s cultural legacy?
Our legacy is providing cultured pearls of the highest quality
to consumers throughout the world. In 1932, our founder burned
132 kilograms of inferior pearls outside of the Kobe Chamber
of Commerce. In doing so, he demonstrated his high-quality standards,
which we continue to meet today. We apply such standards not
only to our pearls, but to our employees, stores, customer service
and business practices.
As Mikimoto’s COO, what legacy would you like
to leave on the company?
I would like to lay a strong foundation to continue to develop
and expand our business. I would like to lead a team that embraces
our brand and has a passion for selling pearls!
How would you define luxury? What is the greatest luxury
you possess?
Luxury is in the eye of the beholder. Luxury is much more than
material possessions; it’s how a person conducts his or
her life. My greatest luxury is my family.
How will you be spending the holidays?
The busiest time for luxury sales is Thanksgiving through Christmas.
I will be working right up to the last minute, then spending
time with my family.
What is your idea of a perfect holiday gift?
I love to give and receive timeless classic gifts. A simple
strand of Mikimoto pearls is the perfect holiday gift for that
someone special who has everything. They are always in style
and should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. |
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Nadja Swarovski,
VP of International Communications,
Swarovski
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Did
you always want to be a part of the family business?
Actually, I wanted to do my own thing rather than go into the
family business. I had studied art history, which was my passion,
so I knew that I wanted to work in the art world.
First I was at Sotheby’s auction house, then at the Gagosian
Gallery. After that I worked at two fashion PR houses and developed
a professional interest in fashion and jewelry.
When did you become involved with Swarovski professionally?
After working in fashion PR I worked for Swarovski in Hong Kong
for a year and a half and received a bird’s-eye view of
the company. What I found missing was the collaboration between
Swarovski and the designers who use the crystals. The dialogue
that my grandfather had developed in his time with Coco Chanel
and Christian Dior was no longer there. I wanted to re-establish
it.
Is this what you call the “Crystal Re-education
Program” that you initiated?
Yes. Putting the designers in touch with the product is what
the program has aimed to do. We didn’t want there to be
any intimidation to use the product, so we hired trend-forecasting
agencies and presented trends and how the crystals can be utilized
directly to designers. We have made the product more user-friendly
and now offer better customer service.
Having successfully re-branded Swarovski over the last
few years, where would you like to see the company’s next
direction of growth?
Well, now that we have tackled fashion somewhat, that needs
to be maintained while we develop more products in jewelry and
interior design. I am very excited about
our collaborations with costume and set designers in the film
industry. We worked with the costume designer for
Moulin Rouge and were so excited about her Academy Award wins.
We also worked with the set designer for a James Bond film
to create a killer chandelier. The next big project
I’m excited about working on is the Joel Schumacher-directed
film version of Phantom of the Opera. In the meantime,
Swarovski is also taking part in the Shanghai Art Festival and
Art Basel in Miami, and these connections with the
art world truly mean a lot to me.
I imagine that every member of your family directly involved
with Swarovski – such as your father and grandfather –
has left a particular legacy on the company. What would
you like yours to be?
My primary concern is to innovate and keep the products design-driven.
The luxury-goods market is a superb arena to be a part
of, but I am most concerned with design, which is not always
about luxury. The iPod, for example, is so well-designed but
not a luxury good in the same way as jewelry.
You have partnered with so many noteworthy designers,
including young avant-gardes such as Viktor + Rolf, Proenza
Schouler and Derek Lam. Are there others you would like to work
with?
Everyone! The collaborations we have developed thus far have
been fantastic, but I want to see every great designer collaborating
with Swarovski.
Which designer’s clothes do you personally love to wear?
Every time I buy one of Alexander McQueen’s pieces I justify
it as buying art! His clothes look and feel great. And I love
to wear Manolos. I appreciate both designers as artists.
How do you define luxury?
Time is the ultimate luxury, especially quality time. I never
seem to have enough, though.
How will you spend the holidays?
With family in Florida, if our house has survived the hurricanes!
What is your idea of the perfect holiday gift?
To create time to be in the right place with the people who
matter. |
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