Note from Anne: Of all the stories not released from draft, I just found this one. OMG!

Written on February 18, 2024, I had second thoughts regarding my three honchos — Pharrell, Jay-Z, and Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari —commentary being far better at navigating the politics of Los Angeles than the Cheval Blanc team that flamed out in a defeat by voters in Beverly Hills. My irreverance can sometimes get out of hand.

It never works when I second-guess myself. Looking to link today’s news that indeed Louis Vuitton is a go on the site, along with a new Tiffany & Co flagship one block away, I was stunned to discover that AOC never lived our earlier story. Well, it’s live today and I stand by my three honchos commentary. Update: AOC did release a significantly edited version of the story, without all the commentary that was making me nervous, on the original date. This one is the entire original narrative.

California Dreamin’ . . .

There are many reasons why Louis Vuitton adores America and has an extra deep love affair with California. Progressive, multicultural, artistic in multiple disciplines, great weather, big money, and a maverick spirit all make the list for why LVMH and several maisons — but especially Louis Vuitton — have California Dreamin’ in their blood.

WWD shared the unconfirmed rumor that Louis Vuitton hopes to take over the defeated proposal for a 109-key Cheval Blanc hotel on the 50,000 sq foot property on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Louis Vuitton Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari plans larger and grander retail attractions and fashion show events for Louis Vuitton locations around the world.

Consider the new Louis Vuitton hotel renovation on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. An entire temporary artifice resembling a Louis Vuitton trunk has been built to minimize a construction blot on one of the world’s most beautiful boulevards — and especially during the summer Olympics in Paris where LVMH is a grand host for the event.

LV CEO Beccari is mastermind of the Dior 30 Montaigne flagship store renovation in Paris. The always thinking Italian was extraordinarily successful at Dior — teamed up with artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri.

“Don’t think big — think huge,” he often tells his staff.

‘Huge’ Takes Many Forms and LVMH Has Human Assets

Beccari arrived at Louis Vuitton in January 2023, with a key priority of recruiting Pharrell Williams to the world’s biggest luxury brand to replace the beloved, and sorely missed Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton Mens, Virgil Abloh. The inspiring, paradigm-challenging creative passed on Dec. 3, 2021 from a long, but closely-held illness.

AOC was first and early, to the best of our knowledge, in calling for Williams to join LVMH Men.

In writing their executive announcement of Pharrell’s acceptance of the LV Men’s position, CEO Beccari cited the major music talent’s in-depth experience and activism in dealing with Williams’ home state of Virginia politics. The native of Virginia Beach co-led the drive to successfully make Juneteenth a state holiday, before assuming a leadership position in the Washington DC-based, federal drive to make Juneteenth, on June 19, a national holiday.

The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

AOC noted at the time that in Pharrell’s announcement, Beccari devoted as many words honoring his activism, as his musical and cultural influencer talents.

Why the Human Touch Matters

LVMH Concedes Probable Defeat in Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills Vote AOC Living

LVMH thought they had a deal going in spring 2023 for the Cheval Blanc in Beverly Hills. AOC knew LVMH had the wrong team negotiating on their behalf, when we wrote:

Labor was upset that there were no provisions included for affordable housing in a larger Los Angeles area that’s enduring an affordable housing crisis of epic proportions. Anti-development residents joined forces with Unite Here Local 11 hotel and culinary workers.
They launched a person-to-person campaign to gain 10% of registered Beverly Hill voters to request a special election that might override the Fall 2022 approval of the project by the Beverly Hills City Council.
They won.

AOC expects that Pietro Beccari’s Louis Vuitton team, will get the necessary approvals needed to succeed in Beverly Hills.

The Three Honchos: Beccari, Jay-Z, Williams

We follow Pharrell very closely, including here in Virginia, and know that he wouldn’t think twice about sitting down with labor — which they should have done with the Cheval Blanc project.

Not only does Pharrell have deep roots in these kinds of communities, but they can always call in LVMH Moët Hennessy partner Jay-Z to get this deal done.

In Pharrell’s most incredible, opening-night Louis Vuitton Men’s show in Paris June 20, 2023, Jay-Z and Beyoncé sat next to LVMH chairman and founder Bernard Arnault.

AOC’s point is that human capital takes many forms and LVMH — and especially Louis Vuitton — is well-leveraged to navigate and negotiate the community terrain in Los Angeles.

In fact, with storytelling being such an important part of the Louis Vuitton brand, Pharrell, Jay-Z and even Beccari as a trio — the three maverick honchos — could make a big impression in the folklore of LA by treating workers right in the creation of a mega presence for Louis Vuitton in Beverly Hills.

It’s old school but I have a hunch Beccari will create a great story about how LV went into the LA community with grace and respect. These union leaders aren’t artisans, but the goodwill would be massive among Louis Vuitton customers with progressive, California values.

So no news is official yet, but it sounds like Louis Vuitton is ready to host a really big show in California, the land that they love.

In 2022, Louis Vuitton women’s artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière purchased the Wolff Residence, an early-1960s modernist triumph perched above the Sunset Strip in LA. John Lautner designed the home in homage to Frank Lloyd Wright.

Ghesquière calls the new house “so far away from Paris but so close in my heart at the same time.” The designer feels particularly creative in LA.

This is a very exciting Louis Vuitton story and AOC is filled with hope that this rumor is true. From all we know about Beccari, he’s got the true-grit guts to pull this off. ~ Anne

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