A luxury conglomerate is dominating the 2024 Paris Olympics as its Premium Partner, featuring its various brands all throughout the games—here’s how they’re making a mark.
In 2023, LVMH—Bernard Arnault’s luxury mega conglomerate—struck a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), becoming a Premium Partner of both the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Now that the Olympic games are in full-swing, so are their creative collaborations.
“LVMH’s partnership with Paris 2024 is multifaceted. Several of our iconic Maisons are playing high-profile roles to ensure that French savoir-faire shines brightly during defining moments of the Paris 2024 festivities, including Berluti, Chaumet, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy and Sephora,” the conglomerate writes in an official statement.
Indeed, luxury is at the forefront of this year’s Olympics, shining with the elegance, artistry, and excellence that many recognize LVMH’s brands for. Here’s how the conglomerate has made its mark on the 2024 games:
READ ALSO: All The City’s A Stage: Highlights Of The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Stylish Medals and Torches
LVMH’s jewelry maison, Chaumet, was responsible for designing the beautiful medals for the 2024 Paris Olympics. As a nod to its legacy and history, the house created the medals using high jewelry-making techniques, with centerpieces featuring original metal from the Eiffel Tower itself.
What’s more, Louis Vuitton designed custom trunks to carry these medals and the Olympic torches in style, while ensuring they stayed protected during transportation.The Medals Trunks feature Monogram canvas, as well as brass corners and closures that characterized Louis Vuitton trunks since the 1850s. They also have a central section and two hinged “wings” that open to reveal drawers meant to hold 468 medals. Louis Vuitton also designed medal trays for the Victory Ceremonies featuring the house’s distinct and historic Damier canvas from 1888.
Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton designed Torches Trunks to hold the Olympic and Paralympic torches, which French designer Mathieu Lehanneur helped bring to life. Each trunk has circular “sockets” in the base and the lid that holds the torch securely in place. Its interior offers additional protection through a lining of soft black matt leather.
Fine Spirits
The Opening Ceremony was a grand celebration that took place along Paris’ famous River Seine, rather than a single stadium, transforming the entire city into a stage. The Pont de la Concorde bridge served as an enthralling hospitality venue during the ceremony, with Moët Hennessy’s wine and spirits houses providing exceptional tasting experiences for guests through their range of products. This includes Moët & Chandon, the official champagne of the Olympics.
Exquisite Clothing
The artistry of LVMH’s maisons truly shined in the fashion department, as Berluti, Dior, and Louis Vuitton created stunning outfits for the games’ athletes, medal bearers, and Opening Ceremony performers.
Berluti proudly designed the Opening Ceremony outfits for team France. The maison’s team spent months crafting pieces that embodied “true elegance à la française,” as LVMH writes in a statement. This resulted in tuxedo-inspired outfits that suited all body types, and featured midnight-blue wool with a French flag patina effect on the jacket’s shawl collar.
Medal bearers are also wearing special uniforms from Louis Vuitton for the games’ Victory Ceremonies. Inspired by the 1924 Paris games, the pieces feel classic while still exuding contemporary flair. The unisex outfits feature 100% eco-designed materials, and are made up of a polo shirt, roomy pants, and a traditional gavroche cap.
Performers for the exciting Opening Ceremony also donned exquisite outfits from Dior. These include singers Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, Axelle Saint-Cirel, Juliette Armanet (with her accompanying pianist Sofiane Pamart), and Céline Dion. Dion’s outfit in particular was a show-stopping piece made up of thousands of pearls and more than 500 meters of fringe, which Dior embroidered directly on her body using their time-old, signature technique.
Hospitality at Its Finest
Even LVMH’s hospitality brands took part in the glorious celebrations. Namely its luxury hotel Cheval Blanc Paris, which lets guests savor the Olympics in style. On July 26, it offered front-row seats to the Opening Ceremony, as its location along the Seine gave an unrivaled vantage point to the opening ceremony. An array of gastronomic delights that celebrate both Parisian elegance and Olympic grandeur also complemented the occasion.
Guests toasted with specially crafted cocktails, indulging in gourmet delicacies and soaking in the electric atmosphere of the games.
Epicurean Elegance at the 2024 Paris Olympics
With the recent reopening of Le Jardin de Cheval Blanc Paris, the space evolved into a summer retreat where vibrant, fresh dishes perfectly capture the Olympic excitement. Here, guests can delight in a feast featuring a colorful cherry tomato tart with pineapple tomato and basil sorbet, Provençal stuffed cocktail tomatoes, and a refreshing strawberry ice cream sundae, all while enjoying sweeping views of Paris’ iconic landmarks and participating in lively garden games.
Meanwhile, the one-Michelin star Le Tout-Paris offers an elevated experience seven floors above the city. The brasserie’s sparkling ambiance and stunning skyline views, from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower, provide the perfect backdrop for toasting the Olympic spirit with refined dishes that reflect the cosmopolitan flair of Paris. For a taste of Mediterranean elegance, Langosteria brings Italy to Paris with its exceptional seafood offerings. Last but definitely not least, Plénitude (helmed by three-Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Donckele) promises an unparalleled dining experience. Here, the art of sauce becomes the star, guiding guests through a symphony of flavors that celebrate the essence of French terroir in a truly magical setting.
Banner photo via Instagram @berluti.
