The right bank
Paris, the City of Lights, is divided by the majestic Seine into two distinct parts: the right bank and the left bank.
The right bank is generally considered the city's historical and economic center, home to many famous monuments, shopping districts, cultural institutions and business districts. It offers a variety of cultural experiences, entertainment, shopping, gastronomy and nightlife for visitors and residents alike.
The Left Bank, meanwhile, is often considered more bohemian, intellectual and artistic, home to neighborhoods such as Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Latin Quarter and Montparnasse.
The course of the day with Laurent Poultier Du Mesnil
- First, to get to know each other, we went for a coffee on the Champs-Élysées
- After a good laugh and a chat, we headed for Avenue Montaigne despite the rainy weather.
- It started to rain a lot so we went to the Samaritan.
1. Avenue Montaigne, a luxurious avenue
Laurent Poultier Du Mesnil explained that the 5 major luxury goods groups were united in this avenue:
- LVMH: Louis Vuitton, Celine, Christian Dior, Bulgari and Guerlain, owned by Bernard Arnaud.
This is the world leader in luxury goods.
- Keering: Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci , Balenciaga, Boucheron, owned by François Pinault.
The world's second-largest luxury goods group after LVMH.
- Richemont : Cartier, Van Cleef et Arpels, Chloé, Montblanc, owned by Anton Rupert and Johann Rupert (father and son of Swiss origin).
The world's third-largest luxury group
- Chanel : independent group remaining in the luxury sector, owned by the Wertheimer brothers.
- Hermès : a family business and therefore an independent group. LVMH is also Hermès' main shareholder after the family. Loro Piana is Hermès direct competitor.
We also know that LVMH bought Loro Piana for 2 billion euros to compete with Hermès and also bought Tiffany&Co for 15.8 billion euros.
What's surprising about this avenue is that competing houses can be placed opposite each other or even next door to each other. The DNA of the stores is represented with all the symbols present in the sumptuous windows. You can see this with Chanel, for example, with the camellia, the pearl necklace and also black and white. You can also see it with Gucci, where they work with leather and colors.
2. La samaritaine, a department store in the heart of Paris
La Samaritaine and Le Bon Marché belong to the same group.
It took 7 years to build the store, which now boasts a number of outlets for luxury brands, 2 catering outlets, 1 spa, 1 event venue and a palace.
It was founded in 1870 and is owned by LVMH. The principle of this place is that, the higher you climb the staircases created by Eiffel, the more luxurious it becomes.
In the past, the plates on the top floor were transparent and therefore dangerous for women, as their underwear could be seen.
It's a very touristy store, due to its proximity to various emblematic monuments such as the Louvre.
Although La samaritaine and Le bon marché belong to the same group, the atmosphere is totally different due to the locations: La Samaritaine is on the right bank, while Le Bon Marché, on the left bank, has a more intellectual side.
We saw luxury corners such as Louboutin and Trudon, a niche brand that has been France's oldest shoe-shine shop since 1643.
At the Louboutin corner, Laurent explained why the outsole of the Louboutin heel was red.
At the time of King Louis XIV's rising, Mr. King's brother forgot the time and thus the King's rising, so he crossed the butchers' quarter (which refers to blood). The silk heel and sole turned red and everyone looked at him.
So Louboutin took up this master idea, Bruno Chambellan, who took up the story and invested in Louboutin.
La Samaritaine protects a palace, Le Cheval Blanc, which was created by LVMH. It's not a luxury hotel, but a palace because it has a history, which is important to Bernard Arnaud because he doesn't buy luxury hotels.
Things I liked about this afternoon
Very good review, thank you for sharing your experience !
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