EVENTS
Exclusive Wine Tasting and Networking in New York
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An unmissable opportunity for Luxury Society Members to connect in New York and enjoy some of Bordeaux’s finest wines in New York City. PARIS, France — Two weeks ago, I…
Over the last decade, collaborations between luxury brands and contemporary artists have gone beyond mere artistic partnerships towards a new kind of luxury branding.
PARIS – Art and fashion have always developed side by side, for fashion, like art, often gives visual expression to the cultural zeitgeist. During the 1920s, Salvador Dalí created dresses for Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiapparelli. In the 1930s, Ferragamo’s shoes commissioned designs for advertisements from Futurist painter Lucio Venna, while Gianni Versace commissioned works from artists such as Alighiero Boetti and Roy Lichtenstein for the launch of his collections. Yves Saint Laurent’s vast art collection, recently auctioned at Christie’s in Paris, testified to his great love of art and revealed the influence of a variety of artists on his own designs.
In the 1980s, relationships between luxury brands and artists were advanced when Alain Dominique Perrin created the Fondation Cartier. In the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, a book marking the foundation’s 20th anniversary, Perrin says he makes “a connection between all the different sorts of arts, and luxury goods are a kind of art. Luxury goods are handicrafts of art, applied art.”
The Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemparain building in Paris
An unmissable opportunity for Luxury Society Members to connect in New York and enjoy some of Bordeaux’s finest wines in New York City.
PARIS, France — Two weeks ago, I met with Julien Angevin, president of W2 Agency and an early member of Luxury Society. We discussed how he has successfully combined his work with two of his personal passions: wines and watches – which also inspired the name and vision of his agency, W2.
Julien has an enviable job; he helps the finest winemakers work more closely with luxury watchmakers and vice versa. I found the idea very interesting, as wine has a great power of seduction and is an experience intrinsically linked to heritage, savoir-faire, quality and indulgence – values that all luxury brands share.
His next project, an innovative concept called La Soiree des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, is an event being held in New York on January 27, co-produced by Euro RSCG’s Luxe Events Division. This social event will gather New York City’s wine enthusiasts and collectors, to showcase a new generation of 19 dynamic Bordeaux chateaux owners who are happy to share their passion and knowledge. Guests will taste the finest Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés and enjoy the opportunity to meet and talk directly with some of the most renowned French winemakers in an environment that recreates a modern Bordeaux wine cellar right in the heart of Soho NYC.
This exciting and exclusive one night journey to Bordeaux sounded like the perfect occasion for our New York Luxury Society members to meet and connect, all the while enjoying great wines in an informal, entertaining and friendly setting. As a result, we have decided to partner with the event, and let LS members benefit from an exclusive discounted entry for the evening to facilitate networking.
I also asked Thomas Serrano, CEO of Euro RSCG’s Luxe Events Division, and Julien to further explain their collaboration in presenting the first annual Soiree des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.
There are many wine tasting events each month in New York, what will make La Soiree des Grands Crus a unique experience?
TS: Our guests will have the chance to meet and interact with the nineteen chateaux owners who will participate in the event, as if they were visiting in Bordeaux. Also, wine enthusiasts will be able to order the wines they enjoy directly from the chateaux, for purchase through Le Du Wines here in New York. We are also arranging an after party at an exciting new location downtown, where guests can continue to taste and connect in an even more intimate and relaxed environment.
Why are the “new generation” of Bordeaux estate owners interested in being involved, and what will this event mean for them?
JA: The new generation of estate owners understands the global nature of the wine market today. They enjoy traveling to meet their clients, sharing their passion for and knowledge of their wines. We created La Soirée des Grands Crus to encourage this kind of personal interaction which we believe is fully part of the experience that consumers expect from true purveyors of luxury.
Breitling and Hugo Boss are among the luxury brands that have signed on to sponsor this event. What is the relationship between Bordeaux wines and luxury?
TS: Les Grands Crus Classés de Bordeaux represent five percent of the total wine production in Bordeaux, and luxury brands represent the top level of merchandise sold today. Thus it makes sense to offer an experiential event that presents Bordeaux wines together with luxury names in other categories, such as Hugo Boss and Breitling, because these brands share a similar client base.
Can you tell LS members what to expect during this unique Soirée besides great wine tasting?
JA: The event will include The Breitling Grand Cru Challenge, led by wine expert George Sape and Jean-Luc Le Du, owner of New York City’s Le Du’s Wines and former head sommelier of Daniel Restaurant. Attendees who correctly identify the wines in the challenge will win fabulous prizes, including a Breitling watch (valued at $8000US) and some amazing Bordeaux to take home for their personal collections (including many magnums and double magnums).
TS: Another feature of the evening will be a chocolate pairing selected by Francois Payard, a third-generation pastry chef, author, and owner of FPB in New York City’s West Village. Six chocolate varieties will be paired with a corresponding Bordeaux appellation.
This is the first year for La Soiree des Grands Crus. How do you envision the future of this event?
JA: We envision an annual celebration in New York City and extending the concept to other major US cities, such as Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. We would also like to expand to Hong Kong—a crucial destination for the Bordeaux wine and luxury businesses today.
For further information and bookings, I invite you to visit the site and look forward to meeting you there. Luxury Society members can enter code LUXURY to receive preferred entry to the event, ($150 instead of $185 —limited quantities available) when booking online.
Philippe Barnet
President
