PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said Thursday it has acquired French men’s firm Arnys and would apply its made-to-measure expertise — and prime Paris retail site — in support of Berluti’s expansion drive.
This confirms a report in today’s WWD, and underscores how the French luxury group is out to build Berluti into its men’s powerhouse.
LVMH said it would convert the historic Arnys boutique at 14 Rue de Sèvres into a flagship for Berluti, whose chief executive officer is Antoine Arnault, a former Louis Vuitton executive and son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault.
“The transmission of knowledge and craftsmanship has been at the heart of our discussions with Antoine Arnault since our very first meeting,” said Jean Grimbert, whose family founded Arnys in 1933. “I am delighted and proud that the savoir faire of the Arnys workshops will live on through Berluti.”
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Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. LVMH said Grimbert would “personally oversee the continuation of Arnys’ expertise.”
Commenting on the deal, Berluti’s Arnault said it brings together two firms that “embody generations of excellence, savoir faire and creativity. Jean Grimbert brings to our project his invaluable expertise and pure passion for elegance and its perfect execution, qualities embodied by Arnys as well as by Berluti.”
As reported, LVMH plans to take on Arnys’ craftsmen and boutique staff. Jean Grimbert and his brother Michel are the third generation of family members to run Arnys, a cult Left Bank purveyor of country-squire chic frequented by politicos and professors.
Founded in 1895, Berluti is an elite men’s shoemaker prized for its unusual patinas that is now being transformed into a hyper-luxurious lifestyle label for men.
Its artistic director Alessandro Sartori, who last year unveiled Berluti’s first ranges of ready-to-wear, is to lead the brand’s foray into made-to-measure. He is slated to unveil his second Berluti collection on June 29 here during Men’s Fashion Week.