Lorenz Bäumer makes Vuitton shine

PARIS – In October, the French company Louis Vuitton introduced its first high jewelry collection called “L’âme du Voyage”, created by Lorenz Bäumer.  The 43-year old French-German designer is not exactly a new kid on the block: he had been creating jewelry collections for Chanel for the last fifteen years but without any advertisement. He worked for Baccarat too and he also founded his own eponymous company. But this time, Louis Vuitton put him under the spotlights.

In the past, Vuitton experienced fashion jewelry with the in-house art director Marc Jacobs who created small pieces such as rings or charms bracelets to accessorize his fashion shows. In 2007, the brand even collaborated with rapper Pharrell Williams who designed some flashy rings but the consistency with Vuitton’s image was then very questionable.

Today, Yves Carcelle, the CEO of Vuitton, explains that this very exclusive collection results from a long matured strategy (source: Challenges). “L’âme du Voyage” proposes thirty pieces which are the result of three years of work. A new complex diamond cut was specially created for Vuitton: the LV cut with a monogram flower shape. This cut is extremely expensive because it causes a leakage between 40% and 60% says Albert Bensoussan, director of the watch and jewelry division (source: Le Nouvel Observateur). But the result is dazzling: between 65 and 77 facets are playing with the light when a classical brilliant cut offers only 58 facets. The LV shaped diamond is exclusively hand cut in a Tel-Aviv studio. Finally, “L’âme du Voyage” is a breathtaking collection of unconventional pieces mixing precious stones (diamonds and sapphire) and semi-precious (spinels, tsavorites, garnets, opals, aquamarines) with a culminating price of EUR 1.8 million for a necklace called “Ombrelles and eventails”.

Vuitton targets high-end luxury

With this collection, Louis Vuitton clearly positions itself in the very exclusive arena of the top jewelers such as Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari or Harry Winston.  In terms of image, it is la crème de la crème for a  brand mainly known for handbags and leather goods. High jewelry represents the ultimate luxury in many cultures across the world, especially in the emerging markets, and potentially it can create a strong value for the brand.

This sense of prestige was already identified and targeted by Chanel and Dior which had a similar approach many years ago. For these generalist fashion houses coming from the traditional French haute-couture, they already expanded their offering to fragrances, cosmetics, shoes and accessories. Jewelry was therefore the ultimate brand stretching. But for a long time, Chanel proposed somewhat classical design with mostly white diamonds and Victoire de Castellane, in Dior, focused her creativity on colorful funny pieces mainly in semi-precious stones. Even if these brands performed reasonably well, their creations were not exactly a threat for the major jewelers of the Place Vendôme. In the case of Vuitton, appointing a recognized designer and launching a collection impressive in terms of design, material and price, should create a strong positioning for the brand in an extremely demanding market segment.

Yvon Le Gall

Luxury-world

http://www.louisvuitton.com/hautejoaillerie/