Bernard Arnault Touts Luxury With ‘Meaning’

PARIS — Rihanna, Pucci, Karl Lagerfeld and biodynamic wines were just some of the topics luxury magnate Bernard Arnault broached with shareholders on Thursday at the annual general meeting of his LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton conglomerate, which provided a broad overview of the group’s 70 brands. Coming just days after LVMH completed its $2.6 billion acquisition of hotel and leisure company Belmond, the meeting underscored the group’s newfound focus on experiences, with Arnault repeatedly emphasizing the importance of broader social and environmental concerns. “Our values are creativity, quality, entrepreneurship, and now I will add another one, which is the search for meaning, which we must analyze, think about and bring to our customers and our partners,” he said. To that end, shareholders approved the nomination of photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand as an advisory board member. The founder of the Good Planet foundation was previously associated with rival French luxury group Kering, which supported the release of his 2005 documentary film “Home.” Share owners also greenlighted the appointment of Sophie Chassat, an expert in corporate philosophy and branding, and Iris Knobloch, president of Warner Bros. France, as new members of the board of directors. Chassat is expected to contribute “her philosophical insight into societal changes,”

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