LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is once again pushing the boundaries of luxury, bridging high fashion with various cultural facets. In their latest endeavor, LVMH unveiled plans to establish a dedicated hub for craftsmanship in the heart of Paris’ eighth arrondissement.
This expansive center, spanning an impressive 21,500 square feet, will become a holistic haven of artisanal excellence. It serves as the physical home for LVMH’s vocational training program, the Institut des Métiers d’Excellence, initiated in 2014. The program has already empowered over 2,700 individuals across seven countries and recently welcomed a record intake of 700 apprentices this year. What’s remarkable is that the center will also be accessible to the public, offering an opportunity to engage with the 280 skilled trades represented within LVMH’s 75 renowned brands.
Chantal Gaemperle, LVMH’s Executive Vice President of Human Resources/Synergies, emphasized the value of direct interactions, stating, “The pandemic has fueled people’s need to find meaning and make something tangible. There’s a desire to create a real impact and share the experience.”
Alexandre Boquel, Head of Development for LVMH’s Métiers d’Excellence, shared LVMH’s ambitious goal to employ 22,000 specialized craftspeople worldwide, including lesser-known fields like gem sculpting and eyewear manufacturing, by the end of 2025, with 8,000 of them in France. The center’s purpose is to serve as a “tower of transmission,” offering hands-on workshops for novices, the public, and researchers in craftsmanship.
This initiative is more than just a historic nod to craftsmanship; it embraces modernity, incorporating digital technology into traditional professions, thereby inspiring and reassuring the younger generation.
Construction is scheduled to commence next year, with a provisional opening date set for the end of 2025.