Anyone walking the streets of the French capital cannot ignore the omnipresence of LVMH. This luxury giant, led by Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France, has woven its web throughout Paris, transforming the city of light into a vast showroom. But behind the scenes, voices are rising to denounce the tentacular influence of this behemoth on Parisian heritage and daily life. Let us dive into the mechanics of this growing grip, decoded by Mediapart and its colleagues.
An empire in numbers and letters
Among the haute couture boutiques, luxurious hotels, and prestigious museums, LVMH counts more than 200 addresses in Paris. This impressive figure includes iconic places such as the Jardin d’Acclimatation, the Louis Vuitton Foundation, and the famous Pont Neuf. The latter was indeed the scene of an exceptional event in June 2023. To celebrate the first Louis Vuitton men’s show under the artistic direction of Pharrell Williams, the group simply privatized the oldest bridge in Paris, creating a huge mess in Parisian traffic. All this for the modest sum of 184,000 euros, a drop in the bucket for the leader in global luxury.
When Paris dresses up for LVMH
The French capital, rich in its invaluable heritage, sees some of its finest finery offer their splendor to the grand events organized by LVMH. On several occasions, fashion shows have taken over the Louvre, a rare privilege that only Bernard Arnault’s group has benefited from in the last ten years. Why such preferential treatment? The answer lies in the privileged relationships that the luxury magnate maintains with the upper echelons of Parisian politics.
Thus, rumors suggest that the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, does not hesitate to reach out to Bernard Arnault if unfavorable articles about the city appear in Le Parisien, a newspaper owned by the LVMH group. The closeness between the group and the city hall is such that even controversial decisions like the privatization of the Pont Neuf seem orchestrated behind the scenes, much to the dismay of green elected officials like David Belliard.
David Belliard and Émile Meunier: elected officials in disagreement
David Belliard, deputy to the mayor in charge of transportation, clearly remembers the chaos generated by the Louis Vuitton show on the Pont Neuf. Stuck in a huge traffic jam, he discovered, like any other Parisian, the scale of the event. It had not followed the usual validation process by his department, short-circuited by the mayor’s office. For him, this privatization is a striking example of bypassing processes in favor of luxury.
Émile Meunier, also a city councilor, shares this feeling of frustration towards what he perceives as a drift. According to him, LVMH plants its flag on all the symbolic locations of the capital to associate its image with that of Paris, considered a millennial brand. The consequences? The city becomes a mere backdrop for the group’s ambitions, to the detriment of its own identity.
Disguised advertising: a pervasive scourge
Not content with merely occupying public space, LVMH also appears determined to showcase itself in every possible way. Thus, a giant statue representing a Japanese artist was erected near the Louis Vuitton headquarters, displaying a handbag bearing the group’s logo. For Émile Meunier, this installation was more akin to disguised advertising than to art.
Another striking example is the gigantic Louis Vuitton trunk installed on the Champs-Élysées. Officially a temporary sign, this metal structure with prominent logos seems to defy the rules regarding advertising on historical monuments. Yet again, the Paris city hall turns a blind eye, considering that these installations contribute to the capital’s visibility.
LVMH and urbanism: a story of rewriting
When LVMH decided to renovate La Samaritaine, an architectural gem in the Louvre district, the group chose to demolish some historical parts to replace them with a wavy glass façade. This ambitious project required a revision of the Local Urbanism Plan (PLU) of Paris. Normally, a project must comply with the common rule. Here, it is the rule that was modified to meet the needs of a private group.
This process sparked outrage from associations like Sites et Monuments, which see it as an assault on the architectural heritage of the capital. For Julien Lacaze, a representative of the association, Paris finds itself disfigured by architectural interventions that respect neither its history nor its perspectives.
Luxury with no limits
Apart from its real estate projects, LVMH continues to expand its grip on the city by investing in new sectors. The latest acquisition is Paris FC, the second football club of the capital. An incursion into the world of sports that hints at new forms of partnership between the group and the city.
No matter the field, the modus operandi remains the same: to associate the prestigious image of Paris with the prestige of the LVMH brand. A winning strategy for the group, but one that raises questions about the limits of this symbiosis between a private enterprise and a national capital.
The dual nature of the LVMH-Paris relationship
In the face of LVMH’s growing influence over Paris, opinions are divided. For some, like Mayor Anne Hidalgo, the group is a boon for the city, contributing to its international visibility. For others, like David Belliard and Émile Meunier, it is Paris that is a boon for LVMH, and not the other way around. They denounce an unbalanced relationship, where the city loses its substance and autonomy for the sake of a luxury empire.
Through this investigation, Mediapart sheds light on the intricacies of this complex relationship and illustrates the colossal stakes at play behind the scenes of the French capital. Between prestige and heritage, must Paris choose a side? A crucial question that decision-makers will have to answer to preserve the soul of the city of light.
Will the streets of Paris continue to echo the soft footsteps of LVMH models, or will they regain their authenticity, far from the grip of luxury? Only time will tell. In the meantime, LVMH continues its conquest, determined to make Paris its eternal showcase.
