History, Luxury and Class: All That Is LVMH

Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, or as it is better known, LVMH, is the pinnacle of luxury and the head of the high-end table no matter what you are looking for.  So whether you’re in the market for a high-class drink, a luxury suitcase, the highest of fashion or a damn good watch, there is a good chance one of LVMH’s subsidiaries has exactly what you need.  This is our praise, our ode and our thanks to one of the largest and most prestigious multinational luxury empires in the world, LVMH.

Who is LVMH?

LVMH is much more than just Moët, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton.  They are Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Belvedere, Christian Dior, Thomas Pink, Hublot, Tag Heuer and then some.  They are nearly all the biggest and brightest high-end companies in any genre you can imagine.

Formed in 1987 with the merger of Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy, LVMH currently owns and controls roughly 60 top-notch brands.  Their luxury goods group, Christian Dior, holds the majority stake in the company with 40.9% of LVMH’s shares and just over 59% of the voting rights.  Bernard Arnault is the majority shareholder of Dior and is Chairman of both the Christian Dior label and LVMH.  Arnault is also the CEO of LVMH and is credited with bringing on so many influential and recognizable brands under the umbrella of his corporation.

LVMH is currently headquartered in Paris, France and as of 2010 had reached revenues over €20 billion.  But with more than 83,000 employees and more than 2,400 stores worldwide that shouldn’t come as a huge shocker.

LVMH isn’t slowing down by any means, and is continuing to find new partners worldwide to help grow their successes.  One of their most recent ventures was this past month when LVMH joined up with Italian fashion brand Marco De Vincenzo, acquiring a minority 45% stake in the brand.

The Most Recognizable of the LVMH Brands

The frontrunners for brand recognition for the LVMH name are, by no surprise, Louis Vuitton, Moët and Hennessy.  But who else is housed under this French über giant of a conglomerate?

The company has a wide array of brands they call their own, in a number of different categories.  The largest categories on this list include: wines and spirits, fashion, watches and jewelry, and cosmetics.

Here’s a list of some of the big name companies this even bigger name oversees…

Wine and Spirits:
Dom Pérignon
Belvedere
Glenmorangie
Domaine Chandon California
Moët & Chandon
Ruinart
Krug

Fashion Brands:
Dior
Givenchy
Kenzo
Thomas Pink
Fendi
Marc Jacobs
Donna Karan
Nicholas Kirkwood
Louis Vuitton

Watches, Jewelry and Cosmetics:
Bulgari
TAG Heuer
De Beers Diamonds
Zenith
Make Up For Ever
Sephora

And trust me when I say there are plenty more household names under this umbrella, but I don’t want to bore you with the details.

The War of The French Power Houses

Despite their great successes, LVMH has caught some shit over the years for getting a reputation for swallowing up smaller companies.  Well, in 2010 they announced they were at it once again, they publicly announced they owned 17.1% of Hermès shares and Hermès wasn’t having it.

LVMH failed to disclose that they had purchased more than 4.9% of the company and by market rules this is a big no-no.  Sanctions were imposed, feelings were hurt and a whole lot of purses were left not knowing who they belonged to.  At the end of the day the dispute was dragged out in court, lots of name calling went on and while Arnault admitted no wrongdoing, he decided to not file appeals and just enjoy the stake he had.

Want to read more on this French financial dispute?  Click here and learn all about it.

What To Do With All These Great Brands…

While learning the history and financial earnings of a company is all fun and good, it isn’t what we’re all about here at Life, Tailored.  What we are about is using these high-end products and making the absolute best of them.

So whether you want to head over to Mr. Porter and pick up some Marc Jacobs, or grab yourself and your lady some Louis Vuitton we’re all for it.  But we can’t really assist you in either of those circumstances…

What we can do is help you take the LVMH liquor lines and turn them into something delicious.  Here are a few of our favorite drink recipes that start in this Paris wonderland of brand names.

(Belvedere) Red Crimson Crush

Here’s what you’ll need:

Muddle pomegranate seeds and grapefruit with the elderflower liqueur.
Add (BELVEDERE) RED and top with crushed ice.
Churn.Belvedere Diamond Eau Di VieHere’s what you’ll need:

• 2 oz Belvedere Unfiltered
• 4 Concord Grapes
• Dash simple syrup

Here’s how you make it:

Muddle grapes with syrup.
Add Belvedere and shake with cubed ice.
Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a string of champagne grapes.

Belvedere Lemongrass Lemonade

Here’s what you’ll need:

Want more ideas for some delicious Belvedere concoctions?  Click here and find all the drink recipes you’ll ever need.

Not a vodka guy, you say?  Click here and find some great Hennessy cocktails.

Our Parting Words on LVMH

When it comes to luxury no one does it better than LVMH.  From fashion to drinking these guys are the world leader in exquisite taste.  So the next time you take our your Givenchy wallet to buy a bottle of Moët, just remember to thank Mr. Arnault for one of your expensive tastes after another.

Enjoy your life of luxury and all the fine things LVMH has to offer it.