On April 2, 2025, the Maison de France in Monaco will host an exceptional day dedicated to French Luxury.
Organized by the French Foreign Trade Advisors — Monaco, in the presence of the Comité Colbert and the Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français.
Under the patronage of H.E. the Ambassador of France to Monaco, this event will bring together luxury craftsmen, innovation creators, ambassadors of French culture and thinkers of France’s geopolitical influence.
Between conferences, exhibitions, demonstrations and tastings, the day aims to affirm a French luxury that is both rooted in historical craftsmanship and resolutely focused on the major challenges of the 21st century: sustainability, digitalization, tourism attractiveness, economic intelligence and geocultural transition.
Morning: A Celebration of Craftsmanship and Living Heritage
Living Heritage that Inspires the Future
From 9:30 am, visitors will be welcomed into a space transformed by the exhibition “La Grâce à la Française” by visual artist Marcos Marin. He will pay tribute to cinema icons and the aesthetic codes of luxury through an immersive scenography. The work will be displayed alongside creations by Laurence Jenkell, an artist known for her “candy” sculptures—a vibrant nod to revisited French tradition.
The morning will continue with a major plenary conference dedicated to the theme of the day: French Luxury and Craftsmanship, moderated by Sophie Arnaud Deromedi, member of the Executive Board of CCE and President of Adstoria. She will introduce a prestigious panel, illustrating the diversity of institutions committed to promoting French manufacturing culture.
Committed Figures Serving Cultural Luxury
- Bénédicte Épinay, Managing Director of Comité Colbert, will recall the role of this collective in defending a luxury with meaning, combining artisanal excellence, social responsibility and narrative power.
- Luc Lesénécal, President of the Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français and CEO of Saint James, will address the transmission of art trades, the labeling of living heritage companies and the dynamics of productive relocation.
- Sylvie Tarbouriech, Global Brand Director at Air France, will bring a unique perspective: that of luxury in the travel experience. She will highlight how an airline brand embodies national refinement far beyond the cabin.
- Finally, Jean d’Haussonville, Ambassador of France to Monaco and former Director General of the Chambord National Estate, will articulate his intervention around heritage as a pillar of French soft power. He will draw a direct link between material heritage, cultural policy and influence diplomacy.
Storytelling and Brand Culture
A second part of the morning will be devoted to the “Storytelling of French Craftsmanship”, essential in building the identity narrative of brands. It will demonstrate how luxury houses do not simply sell objects, but stories: those of gestures, materials, territories, and the women and men who make creation a grounded approach.
The presentation will be followed by a dynamic sequence of elevator pitches from French New Luxury SMEs, including some living heritage companies. The objective: to give voice to those who are reinventing excellence in the territories, while meeting the challenges of a globalized market.
Midday: Artistic Exploration and Professional Networking
From 12:30 pm to 2 pm, the Maison de France will open for free exploration. Visitors will be invited to circulate freely between artistic exhibitions, demonstration workshops, and stands held by SMEs and startups from the French Tech of Luxury.
These workshops, set up on the upper floor, will allow direct exchanges with craftsmen, creators and entrepreneurs. A unique opportunity to discover behind the scenes of innovation in perfumery, fashion, watchmaking or luxury design.
Afternoon: Luxury, Tourism, Technology and Geopolitics
2 pm: France, the Capital of Luxury Tourism
The resumption of conferences at 2 pm will begin with a panel entitled “The French Luxury Tourism Destination”, moderated by Axel Hoppenot, CCE Monaco and President of the Tourism Group — France Attractiveness Commission. This panel will explore the geopolitical, economic and cultural challenges of luxury tourism, at a time when international clientele are seeking more authentic, sustainable and personalized experiences.
The speakers will address:
- France’s post-Covid attractiveness strategy
- Partnerships between public institutions and private players in upscale tourism
- The evolution of international clients’ expectations (slow tourism, heritage, gastronomy, wellness)
- How major infrastructures (Air France, SBM, prestige hotels, signature architecture) shape the Brand France experience
The intervention of architect Jean-Pierre Heim, known for his iconic projects in luxury hospitality, will illustrate the importance of design in staging French refinement.
3 pm: Luxury & Tech – When Craftsmanship Meets Emerging Technologies
At 3 pm, the round table “Luxury & Tech” will take place, co-moderated by Pascale Caron, AI and innovation expert, and Chris Clavel, digital expert, both members of CCE Monaco.
Five French startups will illustrate how technology addresses new luxury challenges: traceability, circularity, personalization, digital security, enhanced customer relations. Among them:
- SORGA: with its tamper-proof digital passports for luxury cosmetics and perfumes, the startup offers an ethical blockchain serving commitment traceability and combating counterfeiting.
- TRACE SAS: its product tokenization solution ensures their authenticity and tracking on the secondary market, integrating certification tools and enhanced customer experience.
- CodeNekt: in the luxury automotive sector, this startup transforms each vehicle into a secure NFT, guaranteeing its maintenance history and heritage value.
This panel does not aim to celebrate technology for itself, but to show how it can enrich the meaning of luxury, serving transparency, trust, and the beauty of a verifiable narrative.
4 pm: Geopolitics of Luxury — Towards a New Global Symbolic Order
The 4 pm conference, moderated by Bruno Lavagna, author of the book The Geopolitics of Luxury (Éditions Eyrolles), will extend this reflection by placing it in a global context. Through rigorous analysis, the author will explain how luxury asserts itself as an instrument of soft power, shaping collective imaginations, influencing elites and redefining the relations of influence between nations.
Among the points addressed:
- The appropriation of luxury by emerging powers (China, India, Emirates)
- Craftsmanship diplomacy and the battle of cultural narratives
- The role of luxury in French economic diplomacy
- The importance of social, aesthetic and environmental standards in competition between societal models
An inspiring discussion on the challenge of a luxury that is not only profitable, but strategic.
Sensory Closing: Whisky as an Illustration of Reinvented Luxury
From 5 pm to 6:30 pm, the day will end on a more sensory note with a conference-tasting led by Matthieu Acar, author of the book A Brief but Intense History of French Whisky (Flammarion).
His presentation will answer a provocative question: “Is French whisky an illustration of French Luxury?”
Through 40 years of history, he will show how France, traditionally recognized for its classic spirits, has created a new excellence sector in whisky, relying on unique terroirs, mastered techniques, and a narrative rooted in artisanal quality.
The conference will be followed by a tasting orchestrated by La Maison du Whisky — LMDW, an opportunity to extend exchanges between participants, speakers and exhibitors.
A Day in Service of Sustainable, Cultural and Strategic Luxury
The event on April 2, 2025 at the Maison de France is not just a trade show. It is a living manifesto, a concentration of collective intelligence, committed craftsmanship and applied innovation. Through its complementary panels, it demonstrates that French luxury is neither a museum nor an industry in decline, but a lever for the future, capable of embracing technological, environmental, social and geopolitical transitions.
