FLORENCE — Van Cleef & Arpels is strengthening its ties with Italy.
After opening a seasonal boutique in Capri final month, on Tuesday it formally unveiled its first retailer in Florence, including to the areas in Milan and Rome.
Right here, the French jewellery home has zeroed in on a location beforehand occupied by Valentino and housed inside a historic constructing in central Through de’ Tornabuoni, near metropolis landmarks such because the Ponte Vecchio bridge and Palazzo Strozzi.
“This was a mission that took us a very long time,” mentioned the corporate’s president of Europe & CIS Stéphanie Rault. Mentioning that the thought to additional develop the market traced again to 10 years in the past, they ultimately got here throughout what she outlined as the appropriate location simply two years in the past and kickstarted the renovation works.
Van Cleef & Arpels retailer in Florence.
Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels
Sustaining its unique facade, the two,798-square-foot area spans over two flooring and builds on the inside idea of the opposite retail areas of the model, marked by Artwork Deco-inspired furnishing, geometrical parts contrasting with delicate motifs impressed to nature and darkish tones juxtaposed to inexperienced hues.
The shop opens into an entrance corridor embellished by a customized chandelier, with Murano glass lighting additional punctuating the area. Adjoining rooms characteristic oak wooden flooring and ornamental panels with botanical themes, which function one of many Compagnie Financière Richemont-owned label’s key sources of inspiration. Bookshelves displaying publications and objects linked to Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage are additionally recurring parts all through the shop.
Transferring up a marble staircase, black lacquered wooden and inexperienced quartz dominate the area, which affords completely different corners furnished with plush armchairs and sofas that convey an apartment-like really feel. A bar and personal salons for one-on-one appointments amplify the subtle but cozy environment instilled within the location.
“We weren’t in a rush to develop Italy. We needed to have stable foundation, first in Milan after which in Rome.…What we’ve realized in these two boutiques is clearly the robust attraction of Italy, that may at all times stay one of many foremost touristic locations on this planet,” Rault mentioned. “But additionally the robust ties with the native clientele, which could be very a lot accustomed to the jewellery world. First as a result of there are very well-known jewellery manufacturers, but in addition a practice of crafts on this nation, so there’s numerous resonance with what we attempt to do,” she added.
Van Cleef & Arpels retailer in Florence.
Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels
This two-pronged attraction with vacationers and native clientele has additionally marked the opening of the seasonal retailer in Capri, though Rault acknowledged the completely different mission of that outpost.
“We’re going to see our shoppers in one other atmosphere, a bit extra chill, therefore the boutique is completely different, too — a bit much less institutional and a bit extra relaxed,” she mentioned of the 269-square-foot area beforehand occupied by fellow Richemont model Buccellati and nestled within the island’s tony avenue Through Camerelle.
Working from April to the tip of October — masking the vacation spot’s excessive season — the shop reprises the botanical themes in an alcove-like setting, which nonetheless showcases Van Cleef & Arpels’ excessive jewellery, jewellery and watchmaking collections.
The Capri unit adopted a profitable check the corporate launched final yr with a seasonal boutique opened in Bodrum, and Rault didn’t exclude the thought to duplicate such a format in different Italian locations sooner or later.
Requested about different retail plans for the market, she mentioned that the following goal could be Venice. “It’s been on the map for the previous 10 years however then once more it’s about discovering the right location,” Rault mentioned. “I’m not nervous, I feel it’ll come ultimately. That’s the one metropolis that we’re taking a look at for now.”
Rollout in Europe has taken an acceleration as of just lately. This month the model additionally unveiled a boutique in Zurich and plans to open two areas in Germany this yr, to be adopted by its first retailer in Madrid.
“Our focus is actually to get nearer to the native clientele, which we discover fascinating,” mentioned Rault, itemizing additionally current openings in Amsterdam and Wien, that took Van Cleef & Arpels’ retailer depend in Europe to 25.
The model is a pillar of Richemont’s money-spinning jewellery division, which additionally contains the likes of Cartier, Buccellati and Vhernier. As reported, gross sales of high-quality jewellery accelerated into the double-digits on the finish of fiscal 2025 for the group, which in a difficult yr for the posh business noticed general gross sales climb 4 % to 21.4 billion euros.
Seasonal Van Cleef & Arpels retailer in Capri
Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels
Particularly, Richemont’s jewellery gross sales grew 11 % within the fourth quarter, in contrast with 9 % consensus estimates and eight % development within the full fiscal yr. Within the yr, all areas grew within the double-digits aside from Asia-Pacific. Richemont mentioned that direct-to-client transactions accounted for 84 % of whole jewellery gross sales.
“That claims loads about native clientele [in Europe]. They nonetheless have a powerful urge for food for jewellery,” mentioned Rault, pointing to individuals acknowledging the intrinsic worth of jewels and seeing them as investments and items that stand the check of time and might be handed down from a era to a different.
Rault underscored that Van Cleef & Arpels’ general method is to “being nicely balanced and never tremendous investing in a single area.” She highlighted that the model has at all times had very robust ties with the U.S., has been in Japan for the reason that ‘70s and in Hong Kong for the reason that ‘80s, whereas it entered in China in 2006, “comparatively late versus our rivals.”
“It takes a bit extra time in Europe for apparent causes linked to the true property market, the place there are longer leases and fewer motion,” she mentioned. Whereas France and the U.Ok. have been the model’s historic markets, Rault sees potential within the likes of Portugal and Spain, along with Italy.
As she reiterated Italians’ ardour for craftsmanship, she mentioned that iconic strains of the model, such because the Alhambra items hinged on the four-leaf clover image of luck, the Perlée vary marked by beads of gold and the floral-themed Frivole assortment, resonate notably with the native clientele for expressing the model’s experience in each day, versatile jewellery with identifiable aesthetics.
Additional highlighting the affinities between the market and the corporate, Rault mentioned the agency is seeking to improve the engagement with the area people additionally by the use of cultural initiatives applied regionally. She pointed as examples to the Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love” exhibition the model staged at Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2019, in addition to its involvement within the Homo Faber showcase in Venice, amongst different initiatives.
With the identical spirit, it marked the Florence opening by staging the “Welcome to Van Cleef & Arpels’ world” exhibition in retailer.
Working till the tip of July, the showcase spotlights a number of items from the model’s patrimonial assortment with the aim to ask guests to find the inspirations, experience and pioneering spirit behind its creations, their evolution by the years and the hyperlink to the home’s up to date jewellery.
“Flower” secret wristwatch, 1945
Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels
Key items included the 1956 “Picardie” zip necklace in yellow gold, rubies and diamonds that may be reworked right into a bracelet and was first patented in 1938; the 1981 “Everest” necklace in platinum, yellow gold, sapphires and diamonds and outlined by the home’s Thriller Set method patented in 1933; the 1950 “Little dancer” clips expressing one of many recurrent inspirations of the corporate; the “Cadenas” 1944 wristwatch turning an unusual object like a padlock right into a valuable creation in yellow gold, platinum and diamonds, and the “Flower” secret wristwatch of the next yr, which comes with rubies and diamonds. But the star of the showcase was the 1953 “Daisy” gold minaudière designed with completely different compartments devoted to carry particular objects like a powder field, lipstick case, lighter or a comb.