Does the surname Arnault ring a bell for you? If you were ever, at some point in your life, interested in fashion, then most likely the answer to this question is going to be yes. However, should I ask you to give me both the name and surname of the person that I have in mind, then your answer is most likely going to be: Bernard Arnault.
Wrong.
Now substitute Bernard with Alexandre and here you have it, the main character of this article.
It’s a tale as old as time: someone in the family finds himself in a position of power and suddenly half of the family becomes employed in the same organization or government body. What are the chances that every single one of those fourteen cousins, three siblings, five uncles and even the grandma dreamed of becoming a tax specialist? Not many, and this is exactly what nepotism is all about.
Unfortunately, the problem with nepotism is that, though it certainly allows you to save the money you would pay for a head hunter, mixing family with business is usually not a good idea. More specifically, according to Entrepreneur.com there are at least “25 good reasons why hiring your relatives is an even worse idea than you suspected”.
Apparently the Arnault family missed out on this article since they have been successfully practicing nepotism for the past 50 years. Not only did Bernard Arnault first start by joining his father’s construction company, but also his son, Alexandre, is becoming not-so-slowly but steadily one of the people shaping the LVMH group and therefore the luxury industry.
Contrarily to what we might assume, the reason why the younger Arnault is making headlines is not just his surname, but the way in which he is transforming Rimowa from a niche luggage maker into a millennial-friendly, globally recognized luxury brand.
Alexandre Arnault. Photo: BFA 
Alexandre Arnault | Photo: Heiko Richard for BoF
Mr Arnault comes from a digital background, having completed his bachelor at Télécom ParisTech, right before moving on to the École Polytechnique, for a Master of science in innovation – no wonder he describes himself as a technology freak – and has become LVMH’s secret weapon in terms of modernization of the group.
Apparently, besides having been appointed Rimowa’s CEO, Alexandre is also the one who first spotted the company as potential acquisition target for the LVMH group, claiming that Rimowa has “everything we seek for in brands, craftsmanship, quality, DNA, design, creativity, everything.”
His success in re-launching this 120-years old brand lies in the strategic choice of both keeping the brand’s loyal customers happy by promoting the company’s long history as a producer of high-quality suitcases, while at the same time targeting millennials thanks to a series of collaborations with Supreme, Fendi, Off-White and Alex Israel (photo on the left).
Not only has the younger Arnault understood the importance of keeping up with the latest digital trends in order to be able to “talk” to the newer generations of consumers, but he also indicates customisation as the key to his business plans: “It will keep customers coming back to our stores,” he explains. “If you have one [suitcase], why would you buy another? You aren’t going to unless there is something cool to personalise it with, or unless there’s an entirely new suitcase altogether.”
By the way, did I mention that he is only 26 years old?
By Giovanna Roma
