SimplyAbuDhabi XXXIII

26 Place Vendôme is one of the most iconic addresses in France, epitomising luxury and high jewellery. Here, in 1893, Frédéric Boucheron opened his first high jewellery boutique and he was the first jeweller to settle in this octagonal square, later to become a magnet for French luxury maisons and an icon that symbolises wealth. Now, for the 160th anniversary of the maison held in 2018, Boucheron, part of Kering, has decided to give a new look to this historic palace and its headquarters. “I wanted to make a gift to the maison and to Paris”, Madame Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO & President of Boucheron, tells me while welcoming me into a red, magnificently restored room that recreates imaginative journeys to China. “This room”, she continues, “was untouched during the main restoration works, and was only restored by the most expert of painters after all the building was completed”. Poulit-Duquesne, after working for several jewellery brands including Cartier where she worked for 17 years, moved to Boucheron in 2015 where she aims to relaunch the brand on a worldwide scale. The newly revamped boutique in Place Vendôme is spread over three floors (four if you include the mezzanine) on a 1,100 sqm area. On the ground floor, you will find the displays with the jewellery and tables for the customers as well as a winter garden with some intimate rooms created for clients. Going up, floor after floor, it becomes increasingly intimate, until you arrive at the third floor of the building which has been conceived as a family home. There is a dining room, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom with a bathtub that allows you to bathe with a majestic view of Place Vendôme. On this specific floor, Boucheron will invite his VIP clients to stay, in partnership with the Ritz, inviting them to experience for a night or more the ultimate luxury of living in its headquarters. This space, if not used by the clients, is also the perfect setting to throw magnificent parties or intimate dinners. On the floor above the 3rd floor, in a secretive yet mystical environment, there are Boucheron’s offices, artisans and creative direction headquarters which work together hand in hand. Hélène Poulit-Duquesne Ceo Of Boucheron