Paris, capital of luxury yesterday, today… and tomorrow?<

Over the past fifteen years, the potential of fast-growing countries such as China, India, Russia and Brazil has been widely praised. These territories will certainly continue to constitute a reservoir of growth for the brands, but the historical cradle of luxury remains Paris.

An open-air school to acquire the culture of luxury

The capital is teeming with references to luxury. This is undoubtedly the greatest luxury heritage accessible within a restricted area.

We sew, we crimp, we hammer in the workshops of Paris or its close outskirts. There are leather goods workshops in Pantin for Hermès or in Asnières for Louis Vuitton. But even more than the manufacture of bags and suitcases, it is the studios and sewing workshops that make people dream: Dior, Lanvin, Saint Laurent or Balenciaga to name only the best known brands. There are also a multitude of jewelry workshops that work for the big names in Place Vendôme and Rue de la Paix.

It is also in the capital – or the inner suburbs – that the headquarters of the global luxury giants are located: LVMH (22 avenue Montaigne, Paris 8^e), Kering (10 avenue Hoche , Paris 8^e), Chanel (135 avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, Neuilly-sur-Seine) or even Hermès (24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8^e).

The whole world envies us the Parisian palaces. For their history, first of all. All the facades are listed and the Imperial suite at the Ritz is a reproduction of Marie-Antoinette's bedroom at Versailles, for example. But also for their unique situation. The balconies of the Crillon directly overlook the Place de la Concorde. The Meurisse terrace allows you to admire the whole city. And it is possible to see the Eiffel Tower from some rooms at the Shangri-La. Of course, Parisian palaces are also renowned for their gastronomy since each one has a great chef.

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“If we add to that the richness of the museums, it is an incredible opportunity to have all this heritage within easy reach for our students to discover”, admits Céline, professor of history and geography in a college in Paris and responsible for the DP3 option. “What better city than Paris to access the culture of luxury? This is why students from all over the world come to train there”, notes Thibaut de La Rivière, director of Sup de luxe.

A sesame for getting jobs abroad

A visit to Paris can boost a CV insofar as France remains the international reference in terms of luxury. Experience in selling jewelry in Place Vendôme will be better valued than experience in the same sector in a boutique in Amsterdam or Stockholm, for example.

In the luxury hotel industry, this is even more true. “If you want to pursue a career in the luxury hotel industry, you have to have proven yourself in Paris. We stay there for a few years and then we find very good jobs all over the world”, explains Aurélie, 41, general housekeeper in a five-star hotel. She is about to leave for London – where she has no doubt that she will find a job – to follow her companion who works in the catering industry as room manager in palaces and who has just landed his new job. on the other side of the Channel.

The key to a great career abroad that Paris offers is sometimes a thorn in the side of recruiters. Some just consider Paris as the essential step that will allow them to obtain the position they are aiming for in another country. This is often the case in catering, where French starred chefs are a reference. Thus, as soon as they have their precious “visiting card”, the employees trained by these great chefs fly abroad.

Here more than elsewhere, places are expensive

Prestige, quality of life and the prospect of a good career, not to mention the practical side – staying in the city where you studied – make Paris one of the cities where places are the most expensive.

Recruiters can afford to be even more selective. “When I wanted to settle in Paris, I realized that the provinces or the foreigner were not experiences of the 'level' of Paris. I really had to hold on to find a job when I had always worked in luxury establishments”, continues Aurélie.