" Frédéric Boucheron was a profoundly innovative man "

What was your first decision as CEO? The first thing I did was set out a five-year plan. My background is in jewelry and watches, so I had a clear vision of where I wanted to take the house, which I presented to François-Henri Pinault. As soon as it was approved, we began roll-out. I started by looking at the product… the good news being there were no problems in that area. Claire Choisne was already in her role, the creative foundations were in place. It was mostly a matter of making adjustments. The real issue was brand perception. Lack of investment meant there was no clearly defined image. We established a brand platform and committed to telling a single story that would be consistent over time. I made strategic choices, too, to give priority to jewelry and Asia. We were able to grow rapidly in China whereas the US required more time and significant investment, hence the decision to expand there at a later date, in 2024, with the objective of long-term brand building. What storytelling did you use to reposition Boucheron? I don’t embroider the truth. I detest lies. So, I searched the archives to see what really differentiated us. As the son of a draper, Frédéric Boucheron was immersed in the language of couture, and we found archive documents showing gold weave, passementerie and tassels. This culture of couture is fundamental. We’re probably the most couturier of any jeweler. Before becoming a jeweler himself, Frédéric Boucheron advised customers and selected pieces for them. He saw himself almost as a jewelry stylist, which is where this idea of “jeweler of style” originates. Boucheron is the opposite of jewelry worn purely for show. Jewelry becomes a form of selfexpression. The Frédéric that I discovered was also an innovator. He won prize after prize at World’s Fairs. Newspapers of the day wrote about his avant-gardism. He didn’t follow trends; he started them. This historical truth naturally became our canvas for expression. I often tell my teams, if another jewelry house can do it, we don’t. We should always be ready to take a different path. /public-objects/d028da3e-d467-4dd8-bb54-a1eb320c2ba4-d07ce12a-b3a6-4969-81fb-1a8ae08773ba-BOUCHERON_-_HISTOIRE_DE_STYLE_SITE.webp Image sélectionnée Although one could argue that the 2026 Histoire de Style collection looks to the past… This isn’t a hugely innovative collection in terms of materials or designs. It was an intellectual exercise. Claire and I referred to it in-house as the “zero pieces”, the idea being to return to the very essence of Boucheron style, even before piece number one. We chose four pieces from which Claire produced a synthesis, almost an abstraction. We asked ourselves, if we were to extract the substance of our legacy since 1858, where would the roots lie? An exercise such as this implies a profound understanding of who we are. Which of the four pieces is your favorite? The long Question Mark necklace, The Untamed. The technique is exactly the same as in 1879. Interestingly, Frédéric Boucheron designed the necklace but never made it, probably because he was too far ahead of the times. In 1879, a necklace that extended all the way down to the navel would have been quite audacious. Making this necklace today is a little like holding a conversation with Frédéric across the centuries. /public-objects/52750a9a-4aee-4c8e-8be3-8206659b12c1-6af6e18f-ffa0-46b7-954b-062e038e79ca-BOUCHERON_-_HISTOIRE_DE_STYLE-3_SITE.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/42c449c9-85ce-4cb8-9b00-0b0101c0f662-649523a0-81d6-4644-9ac6-2d606404fa72-BOUCHERON_-_HISTOIRE_DE_STYLE-5_SITE.webp Image sélectionnée How do you and Claire Choisne work together? We work simultaneously on collections for several years ahead. There’s a constant back-and-forth between us from the moment the concepts have been laid down. We define a theme, then set out the essence of that theme in a short text. Next, everything has to align: creation, communication, image. First I see the intents, Claire’s post-its, then the sketches and models. Claire tends to work more in three dimensions than from gouaches. Nothing gets sent for production until I’ve signed it off and even then, certain pieces can be postponed for reasons of capacity or organization. That’s just normal life at a jewelry house. We're probably the most couturier of any jeweler. After the creative phase comes the customer. You recently opened your 100th boutique, in Zurich. What does this represent for Boucheron? Zurich had been on my roadmap for a long time. It’s a major catchment area in German-speaking Switzerland with an international clientele. One hundred is a symbolic number but we’re not chasing after new addresses. Possibly we’ll go as far as one hundred and thirty, but not three hundred. Prime locations and a coherent experience are the most important. You’ve been elected president of Comité Colbert. What are your priorities? I want to promote training in crafts. There aren’t enough artisans, we need to get more young people interested. I’m fascinated by l’intelligence de la main, meaning “intelligence of the hand”. In an age of artificial intelligence, craftsmanship and manual skills will become all the more valuable. These professions pay well, and bring a sense of meaning and accomplishment. Luxury is a living legacy supported by human skills. The Comité Colbert’s role is to showcase these skills and remind us that luxury is created by immensely talented hands. /public-objects/f5aff2ad-741b-4c01-b08c-017f3245d41a-f168a514-525a-40bc-8bc6-1c8aae4f5fdc-BOUCHERON_-_HISTOIRE_DE_STYLE-4_SITE.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/b3abb997-8465-4aa0-900f-a1ce1ad17ba6-85a25789-45c6-466e-afa8-fa17ce4d7ae5-BOUCHERON_-_HISTOIRE_DE_STYLE-6_SITE.webp Image sélectionnée