Opening a new workshop in rural France isn’t typically a headline-grabbing event. Unless the country’s richest man is the host.
LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, who is the world's third-richest person with a net worth of $157 billion, showed up in the Loire region with an A-list entourage that included his son Frederic, who heads the TAG Heuer watch business, and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.
A throng of 70 visitors toured the two complexes, where Louis Vuitton will be making a variety of bags and eventually create 400 jobs.
The event highlighted how the chairman of LVMH can command the attention of France’s political elite by playing up his company’s Made-in-France credentials. Louis Vuitton is a marquee industry for France, for which luxury fashion is a cornerstone of its economic and cultural heritage.
The new complexes are situated in the towns of Aze and Vendome, where the site occupies an 11th-century abbey that was renovated at a cost of about €20 million ($22.7m).
The additional venues will help to alleviate a supply crunch that is reverberating across the industry as well-heeled shoppers clamour for handbags, belts and other high-end leather goods.
Only last week, arch-rival Hermes International said it was not able to meet demand for its leather products that include the Birkin bags. Hermes plans to add three manufacturing sites in France through to 2024.
There is an “auspicious” economic environment in France, which is the most attractive in Europe for foreign investments, Mr Arnault said. “Our craftswomen often manufacture products that have wait lists.”
Earlier this month, a group of workers at three Louis Vuitton manufacturing sites staged walkouts amid a dispute over working hours.
Louis Vuitton settled on a labour framework last week that reduces the working time per week by two hours to 33 hours, as well as increases the average wage by 7 per cent, or about €150 a month, a representative for the brand said.
Workers at Louis Vuitton “are among the best-paid”, which keeps them loyal, Mr Arnault said at the opening of LVMH's new workshops.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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