I had a couple of years of rebellion - I was singing in a rock band.
— Antoine Arnault
Growing up, I'd always visit boutiques with my father on the weekends.
A pair of Berluti shoes has this flair, these nuances in colour and patina, so I thought: 'What if we took this je ne sais quoi and turn it into a menswear brand?'
One week a year, I go to Las Vegas with friends to play poker. We usually go to the Wynn. To play golf in the desert in the middle of the strip at the Wynn is one of the most surreal experiences you'll have.
I'm not the biggest fan of airports. I try to arrive a few minutes before check-in closes.
We have received a heritage of craftsmanship, of aesthetics, of taste, of identity. Our brands have the beauty to preserve and perpetuate it.
It takes eight to nine months for a Berluti client to get a pair of custom-made shoes and it's fine. I was always against see now/buy now, as I don't think it's relevant to what we do and is not a good image of luxury.
Of course I have other passions... but my real investment obviously without a second thought is LVMH and what my father created.
It was clear that my father wanted us to work with him. I mean, it is a family company.
The luxury industry is being radically reshaped by technology-driven innovation.
We have very strong roots in Italy and we are committed to deepen these roots even more.
We need to focus on what we know to do best, and our domain is the highest quality in luxury products and spending the most attention on uncompromising quality, not on being technologically advanced.
Being surrounded by creativity and talent is very enriching - not in terms of money but in terms of the soul and the spirit.
I hate the marketing side of business where, 'Oh let's do a shoe for this clientele or for the Chinese or for the Japanese.' We're doing the same products for everyone.
I love Aston Martin.
What we sell are not products... that customers are going to put in a closet and forget.
Luxury takes many forms nowadays, but one thing doesn't change: luxury is about desire and the ability to create dreams.
I was taught fashion very early, from the age of 12 when my father bought and created the group.
Going from zero to five kids in two and a half years is the most wonderful thing in the world.
The west coast of Corsica on a boat in August is probably as beautiful as it gets.
In an era of instant communication, a flaw or non-perfect product creates immediate bad buzz.
Millennials, as others, want creative, durable, desirable, and beautiful products. But they do add a new criteria: respect.
Not every brand is for everybody.
Advertising has always been something I kind of understood.
LVMH is not just about numbers. It's about people.
I am not often proud.
Italy has a special place in my heart.
Luxury is a difficult object to describe - it's been the object of hundreds of years of discussion. We definitely don't need it, but it's good for the soul.
During the last years of university I started an online business with a couple of friends selling domain names - we started by cybersquatting and then we became a real business. Someone bought us after three years and we made a good deal.
We were raised with real values about the importance of work and respect for the people.
It's not a burden, you know? You're going to work in fashion, surrounded by creativity and beautiful people, beautiful objects... or work in banking. OK, I choose fashion.
Experience is going to be even more important than it used to be - people will want to live something when they are in our stores, otherwise they'll just buy on their phones.
My father has many talents, but his best is marketing.
I think buying shoes is intimidating for a guy. Sitting down taking your shoes off, for men, it's too much. But you should never be intimidated by anything.
The luxury industry has always been a little bit counter-cyclical.
Never forget your iPod and dvd player during long trips.
Berluti, we manufacture wonderfully successful sneakers, which I'm proud of. But I certainly don't forget the beauty we have to cultivate, the prestige of Venezia leather bespoke shoes, because this is a unique know-how that does not exist anywhere else.
In many competitive worlds like luxury, things are done behind closed doors and with secrecy, so one day I had a eureka moment: for one weekend we show everything, full transparency, forget about business or commerce and showcase our work.
I like to respect my customers.
I'm a visual person, a conceptual person.
If I see one of my sales assistants neglecting someone because he doesn't look like a good client, he's fired immediately.
We absolutely take no decisions based on the share price, not for LVMH.
I think to create brands such as ours and to develop them takes time, and many people when you ask them what is luxury, they say time. And in a way it's true.
I never conduct business on the golf course.
It was clear from very early on that I would work in the family company. There was not really ever another option or idea.
If you have trouble in your private life, who are you going to speak to? Not the new friend you made the day before, but people you trust and have known forever. Vuitton, Berluti, Hermes: it is those brands that have never compromised on quality or values that people turn to.
Designers are not artists. They may have the talent of one, but if they want to work in that way they should paint or sculpt.
You have to embrace trends; it's crazy to think you can live above it. Like digital, like selling online, like social networks - if you fear them, they're going to eat you alive.
