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CNN's Talk Asia will have French businessman Bernard Arnault
joining show host Lorraine Hahn for a chat. Arnault is the chairman
and CEO of LVMH, which is one of the world's biggest luxury products
groups.
The
episode of Talk Asia with Arnault will air on 12 February
at 9:30 am, 5 pm and 10:30 pm. A repeat telecast will be aired on
13 February at 5 pm and 8:30 pm and on 14 February 14 at 9 am.
Arnault talks about the challenges he faced while trying to turn
LVMH into a luxury empire, an empire which consists of numerous
high-end retail brands such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Dom Perignon.
"In the luxury business you have to build on heritage, on
the brands, on the history, and part of France's history. And it
takes time... If you take Louis Vuitton for instance, we have constantly
new products, and the problem we are constantly facing is to be
able to deliver the products because we are so attached to the quality.
When we have a product like the multi-colored bag of Louis Vuitton,
we cannot produce as many as we can sell, because we want to keep
the quality at the highest level," Arnault said.
The 55-year-old businessman also shares ways in which he manages
his business, ensuring that one brand doesn't take precedence over
the others. He also attributes his business skills to the influence
of his grandfather, who made him CEO of the family business at age
25.
Additionally, Arnault talks about LVMH's presence in China, and
how the group continues to stay competitive in the marketplace.
"The key is to be the best, to offer the best products. In
China, customers look very much at quality... that's why we are
so successful, even with expensive products," he said.
The entrepreneur concludes the interview by discussing his vision
for the future of luxury brands in Asia, his collaborations with
Asian designers such as Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, and his
future business aspirations.
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