The Luxe Chronicles

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

Bon Weekend!

It's Friday and the weekend is near. Do something nice for yourself. Nothing says "I love me" like a long, luxurious massage.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Society: Who Are You Calling a "Political Wife"?

This past decade, we've seen a seemingly endless parade of smart, strong, self-sufficient women subjected to public humiliation in the face of their husbands' idiocy: Silda Spitzer, Jenny Sanford, Elizabeth Edwards. Even if not publicly humiliated per se, wives of politicians have long been forced to remain silent about their own political beliefs for the sake of their husbands' campaigns, careers or egos. May 2010 be the year that marks the end of the long-suffering, stand-by-your-man "political wife" as a female archetype. May it start with Cindy McCain taking a principled (and very public) stand in support of same-sex rights.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

P.S. Just to be clear, what I find compelling is the fact that she's standing up for her personal beliefs. The fact that her stand happens to run contrary to her husband's and to his party's homophobic platform is simply a bonus.

Luxury: Let Me Tweet You a Story (...)

Perhaps it is the sense of urgency fostered by the fear of being left behind that has forced luxury brands to finally acknowledge the need to catch up to their technologically-minded customers. Or, perhaps it is the cold, harsh reality that there are fewer luxury customers to be found post-financial crisis and brands now have to work harder to seduce those that are left. Whatever the reason, 2009 will undoubtedly stand out as the year the luxury industry pulled its head out from the sand where the Internet is concerned. I see the arrival en force of centuries-old brands to Web 2.0 as a not-so-small leap forward.

Fashion: Is U.S. Vogue Experiencing an Identity Crisis?

I confess to being just a bit startled when I came across the February 2010 edition of U.S. Vogue. I expect to see titles like "Not in the Mood? The Quest for a Female Viagra", "Date Dresses for Every Affair", "Love, Sex and What to Wear" and "Close Encounter: The Tale of an Almost Adulteress" splashed across the cover of Cosmopolitan. But Vogue? Isn't it bad enough that U.S. Elle is acting increasingly like O.K. magazine? To borrow a seminal quote from Ms. Wintour herself in The September Issue: "It's Vogue O.K? Please let's lift it up!"

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: Perrier-Jouet and Makiko Takehara Invite You to Play to Win

The marriage of art and luxury is still going strong in 2010 it would seem. To celebrate the release of its Belle Epoque 2002 vintage, French champagne house Perrier-Jouët has commissioned Japanese art photographer Makiko Takehara to interpret twenty Perrier-Jouët vintages from the oldest dating back to 1825 to the first of the new millennium.

Bon Weekend!

Ahhhh! Friday is by far the sweetest day of the week. Wouldn't you agree? The weekend is just within reach and it is still full of promise. The rest of January is likely to be rather hectic for me and so I plan to make the most of Saturday and Sunday by doing nothing. Rien du tout! I wish you all a lovely weekend however you define it.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles