Senate Inquiry Committee: Bernard Arnault refuses any interference in US relocation

When questioned about Emmanuel Macron’s call for economic patriotism in response to US tariffs, the CEO of LVMH strongly distanced himself from his counterpart at Kering, François-Henri Pinault. While the latter ruled out manufacturing his Gucci bags in the United States, Bernard Arnault made no promises. He urged Europe to negotiate better with Donald Trump to avoid a “catastrophe.”

 

LVMH is not Kering; Bernard Arnault does not think like François-Henri Pinault, and vice versa…

 

The relatively frosty relations between the two French luxury groups are well known.

 

In 1999, Bernard Arnault was not pleased to see Gucci snapped up by the PPR (Pinault-Printemps-la Redoute) group, founded and headed by François-Pinault, which at the time was focused on mass market distribution.

 

A long-standing rivalry

 

But we know how the story unfolded, and PPR, since renamed Kering and now headed by François-Henri Pinault, the founder’s son, has transformed itself into a pure-play luxury goods company. Today, it is facing well-known difficulties in reviving its former gem, Gucci.

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Read also > Kering: Faced with US trade pressure, the group rules out any relocation plans

 

Featured photo: © Public Sénat

Picture of Sophie Michentef
Sophie Michentef
Sophie Michentef has worked for more than 30 years in the professional press. For fifteen years, she managed the French and international editorial staff of the Journal du Textile. She now puts her press, textile, fashion, and luxury expertise at the service of newspapers, professional organizations, and companies.
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