The luxury lesson of Jean-Christophe Babin: "Bvlgari is strong in its legitimate codes"

Opening a luxury hotel in the heart of the Parisian Golden Triangle during a health crisis may seem like a challenge: the challenge does not, however, scare Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari, a Roman jewelry house belonging to the LVMH group. Quite the contrary, he sees it as a new way of affirming the brand's belonging to the Gotha of jewellery, of deepening the dialogue between Rome and Paris and of forging links between the different worlds of the brand. A lesson in style and strategy.

Le Point: You are a Roman jewelry house and you are opening a hotel in the heart of Paris. Is this a way of deepening the dialogue between the two capitals?

Jean-Christophe Babin: Dialogue has existed since Paris was called Lutèce! It is made of admiration and competition between two countries and two cities among the richest in the world in terms of cultural and artistic entities. It is above all strong from a convergence of tastes. This hotel thus intends to be a kind of embassy of the Italian way of life in Paris. It also asserts itself as a rendezvous between the best of Italian know-how – which is reflected in the materials and decorative choices – and the best of French artisanal excellence with, for example, the work of straw marquetry, if only one example had to be highlighted. The idea is to express both the Italian identity of Bvlgari, but also the uniqueness of this place and its roots in Paris.

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How is the dialogue between the aesthetic codes of the brand and the spirit of the place articulated?

Our clients are travelers in a nomadic world. They need benchmarks. And the Bvlgari signature is one. In a hotel, it can be read in the choice of materials, expressing the Italianness of the brand – such as marble or onyx, but also in jeweler winks, never intrusive or advertising – such as this series of photos in black and white, great stars of the past sporting our jewels in Paris. It must be said that the Bvlgaris themselves came very often to Paris: there is a “French period” of the House from 1890 to 1900. Paris was a sort of incubator for the mastery of jewelery for Bvlgari. This step allowed us to define our own style, which is the mirror of Rome. A city obsessed with the gigantism of the Baths of Caracalla, in the Vatican via the Victoriano and today the Cloud. An obsession that we reflect in our love of beautiful stones, their colors, their unprecedented sizes influenced by the domes of the city: audacity is our signature.

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What is the function of a Bvlgari hotel?

It's to provide an immersive experience that no store in the world will ever allow. A boutique is a homogeneous space, where only one profession is exercised and where, in the end, little time is spent – ​​even if you are passionate about a piece! The hotel on the other hand allows a plurality of experiences from the spa to Niko Romito's restaurant, from a few hours to several days, and therefore allows a much more multidimensional immersion of the brand. It favors an art of living and a hospitality which, far from the standards of the palace hotel industry of the 19th ^and 20th centuries, aims to be elegant, contemporary ^and warm at the same time - this is why we have few keys. And then, the hotel is also a kind of recruitment center for jewelry and fine jewelry: those who have been able to experience Bvlgari in one of our establishments, in Paris, Tokyo or Dubai, will naturally be made aware of the brand and its core business and push the door of a boutique – installed in the hotel as in Paris, or nearby. Thus, from perfume to hotel, via leather goods, watchmaking and jewellery, there is a continuity and a strategy.

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Does the establishment of Bvlgari hotels overlap with the jewelry markets?

Let's say that our hotel establishments around the world, from Bali to Beijing, Paris or tomorrow Rome, correspond to the movements of our customers, whether for pleasure or business trips. This ambition will continue: eventually, I think we can be strong with around twenty establishments, unique in the world. As for Paris, it remains the most visited city in the world. It is therefore natural that we are present there, not only with this hotel, but also with our largest flagship in the world, Place Vendôme. This says who we are: a major player in the Gotha of jewelry.

What next extension of the brand's territory seems legitimate to you?

Today, I don't want to add anything to the brand's portfolio: we are at the pinnacle in the categories that are ours. Including in our core business which is and will remain jewelry. The brand is all the stronger as the different professions interact. Our symbols are totally transversal – like the Serpenti – and constitute a link between our different skills – we find the Serpenti from jewelery to leather goods, via watchmaking or the decorative motifs of the hotel. We are strong in a universe of legitimate codes telling a story that is above all the story of Rome. This is the singularity of Bvlgari.