The Luxe Chronicles

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

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!

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

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.

Fashion: Meditations on Style

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?

Shopping: The French Art of Driving Away Customers

"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).

Luxury: Where Were You Monsieur Mitterrand ?

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.

Travel: Paris Beckons

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

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.

Fashion: Couture is Not in the Eye of the Beholder

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.

Luxury: Net-A-Porter Would Like to Give You £25,000 to Spend

"Is this where we register for the Net-A-Porter shopping spree???"

The lovely people at Net-A-Porter have much to celebrate. They have just clocked their one millionth order and they want to share the joy by offering one lucky winner a 25,000 GBP shopping spree. No purchase required. Go on! Register!! Good Luck!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles