Jewellery And Timepieces At 2017 Arab Luxury World Conference
The fourth edition of the event was held at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi with a focus on “digital disruption and positive engagement”
After an opening speech by Jean-Claude Biver, President of the LVMH Watches Division, last week’s conference featured appearances from a number of prominent figures in today’s luxury jewellery and timepieces world.
Chabi Nouri, who became Richemont’s first female CEO of a watch and jewellery brand when she took the reins of Piaget in April, gave a keynote speech discussing the role of influencers. The 143-year old Swiss brand recently appointed both American style icon Olivia Palermo and Chinese actress Yang Mi as Global Brand Ambassadors for the latest “Possession” collection.
Olivia Palermo for the Piaget Possession Collection
Featuring five new pendants in coloured gems paired with gold and diamond accents, both ambassadors fronted digital campaigns with Olivia writing parts of the video’s script herself. Chabi explained the importance of attracting new clients through such personalised storytelling whilst retaining elements of Piaget’s long heritage.
Piaget’s Chabi Nouri giving a keynote speech at the 2017 Arab Luxury World Conference
Prior to her keynote speech, Chabi also sat on a panel discussing the future of luxury brands. Her fellow panelists included Maximilian Büsser, Owner and Creative Director of Swiss niche watch brand MB&F, who has lived in Dubai since 2014 and also opened M.A.D. Gallery in Alserkal Avenue, the city’s premier arts hub.
Both agreed on the need for mixing brand heritage with experimentation and are clearly fans of Dubai and the city’s feel. “I was fuelled by Dubai and its innovation when I discovered it 20 years ago,” explained Chabi. “There is a pace of change here that aligns to Piaget’s vision of positive disruption.”
Chabi Nouri and Maximilian Büsser sat on the panel discussing the future of luxury brands
It was a theme that ran throughout the conference: “No creation, no future; no innovation, no future” was the mantra of Mr Biver’s opening speech. With these words holding particularly true for Dubai’s trailblazing reputation, the world’s major jewellery and timepiece brands continue to focus on the region’s leading luxury city.