PARIS — At LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Les Journées Particulières is a rare opportunity to stop chasing results.
Detailing plans for the open-doors event, which returns from Oct. 16 to 18 after a four-year hiatus, Antoine Arnault, director of image and environment at LVMH, said the French luxury group would not attempt to set a new attendance record as in previous editions.
“It’s true that we fell into the trap a bit of always trying to attract more people,” he told a news conference at the headquarters of LVMH’s Moët Hennessy wines and spirits division.
“But I don’t think that’s really the right approach. What matters is putting the spotlight on our artisans, ensuring they’re happy, and making sure members of the public leave having learned something and having had a unique experience,” he added.
The last edition in 2022 drew 200,000 visitors and spanned 15 countries worldwide, with 96 sites belonging to 57 houses taking part. This time around, it will take place in 65 locations across 11 countries, with 23 first-time venues and the addition of 10 nighttime events.
“We are opening fewer venues and fewer houses this year. We decided to go for a ‘less is more’ approach for various reasons. Some houses were undergoing renovations, while others preferred to open spaces with smaller capacities, so I don’t think we’ll be breaking any records,” Arnault said.
The scaling back comes at a challenging time for luxury goods, with LVMH’s key fashion and leather goods division posting seven consecutive quarters of declines. The group is set to publish its second-quarter results at the end of July.
Arnault highlighted several new venues on this year’s circuit, including the ready-to-wear workshop at Celine‘s headquarters in Paris, where employees like cut manager Abdoulaye Sane will give visitors an insight into the making of creative director Michael Rider’s collections.
La Samaritaine
Stéphane ABOUDARAM
New experiences on offer will include a dawn visit to the Samaritaine department store in Paris, or a nighttime stroll through the Jardin d’Acclimatation garden and amusement park. Visitors will also have access to Louis Vuitton’s leather-goods workshop in Vendôme specialized in exotic skins, and Loro Piana’s knitwear facility in Ghemme, Italy, among others.
Arnault said it was the craftspeople at its 75 houses who clamored for the return of the event, now in its sixth edition, after it was paused in 2024 when Paris hosted the Summer Olympics, of which LVMH was a premium partner.
The theme of this year’s edition is “Where Dreams Take Root” and it will explore the intersection of natural, cultural and human heritage. Registration will open in September, though walk-ins are always welcome.
Arnault said that although luxury spending has been in a prolonged slump, Les Journées Particulières were not designed to boost sales or bolster recruitment of skilled craftspeople, amid a dearth of skilled workers in areas like leather goods.
“It’s true our sector is not exactly thriving right now, but that’s not the reason we’re doing this. It stems from a genuine desire to periodically draw attention to these artisans and give them a platform to express themselves,” he said. “They’re fascinating, yet they often work in the shadows.”
In the runup to the event, LVMH will run a global ad campaign featuring images of four of its houses: Dior, Bulgari, Guerlain and Hennessy.
A social media teaser film shows French rugby player Antoine Dupin motivating a group of employees. After the press conference, the Olympic champion, who is an LVMH and Louis Vuitton ambassador, joined guests on the rooftop terrace of the building to toast the launch with drinks including Ruinart Champagne and Whispering Angel rosé.
Antoine Arnault poses with a group of LVMH employees at the presentation of the Journées Particulières open-doors event.
Dorian Prost/Courtesy of LVMH
