PARIS — At Louis Vuitton, it’s not simply monogrammed trunks that journey.
Since opening its first branded café and restaurant in 2020 at its flagship boutique in Osaka, Japan, the French luxurious home has established culinary outposts throughout the globe, signaling its broader ambition to place itself as a cultural entity.
Now it’s launching the Louis Vuitton Culinary Group, a worldwide community of cooks mentored by Arnaud Donckele and Maxime Frédéric, the duo behind the model’s annual summer time restaurant in Saint-Tropez.
As they put together to reopen the out of doors eatery on the White 1921 Lodge, which was just lately awarded a Michelin star, the 2 cooks spoke to WWD about their gastronomic ambitions for Vuitton, which is gearing up for a collection of unique pop-up eating experiences in Asia.
“Saint-Tropez is the birthplace of this group,” stated Donckele. “We actually wish to construct a household.”
Maxime Frédéric and Arnaud Donckele
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The primary members of the collective are Leonardo Zambrino, who has helmed The Corridor by Louis Vuitton in Chengdu, China, since its opening in 2022, and cooks Christophe Bellanca and Mary George of Le Café Louis Vuitton in New York Metropolis, which opened final November.
Two further members shall be named quickly, stated Donckele. In the meantime, the group additionally counts “associates” reminiscent of brothers Enrico “Cicco” and Roberto “Bobo” Cerea, who final month opened the DaV by Da Vittorio Louis Vuitton restaurant and adjoining Le Café Da Vittorio Louis Vuitton in Milan.
All over the place the model alights, it goals to copy the template of relaxed class set by its Saint-Tropez venue. “I’d describe this restaurant as neo-gastronomy: it’s gastronomy with tremendous pleasant service,” stated Donckele. “It’s about life-style: there’s music, there’s a vibe.”
The meals, whereas rooted in Mediterranean substances, is an invite to journey: suppose wagyu beef in an fragrant bouillon impressed by conventional French stews, or grilled bluetail lobster with a shiso-infused sauce. Desserts embrace rhubarb vacherin, or hazelnut meringue with lemon sorbet.
A dish by Arnaud Donckele from Louis Vuitton’s summer time restaurant in Saint-Tropez.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Donckele, 48, and Frédéric, 35, have labored collectively since 2019 on the Cheval Blanc Paris resort, which like Vuitton is owned by luxurious conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Donckele, who educated underneath Alain Ducasse, helms the resort’s gastronomic restaurant Plénitude, which holds three Michelin stars.
“I may very well be his massive brother,” stated Donckele, noting he and Frédéric each hail from Normandy and are descended from farmers. Their first assembly went so effectively, they talked for 3 hours. “I feel we each got here away from it overwhelmed, as a result of it’s a bit like assembly your twin.”
Collectively they’ve established a template of sunshine fare, like a toasted croque-monsieur sandwich embossed with Vuitton’s well-known Monogram design.
“The concept was to attract inspiration from the model’s heritage and provides the impression that the dishes, pastry and chocolate have all the time existed,” stated Frédéric, although he famous there was some hesitation about placing logos on the meals. “At first, we had pointers like, ‘No consuming the monogram!’”
Regularly, the duo have grown extra assured and playful. Frédéric’s fanciful chocolate creations now incorporate the model’s flower-shaped mascot, Vivienne, and this Easter, he debuted a chocolate egg impressed by a 2019 purse design by Nicolas Ghesquière, inventive director of girls’s collections.
The patio of the Arnaud Donckele and Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton restaurant in Saint-Tropez.
Stéphane Muratet/Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
With 283,000 followers on Instagram, Frédéric is quickly turning into a star chef, although he’s nonetheless far wanting his former boss Cédric Grolet, who has 12.5 million.
“I didn’t be a part of Louis Vuitton to turn into world well-known. Clearly, that’s the route it’s taking now and it’s unimaginable and actually an honor,” stated Frédéric, who appeared alongside Ok-pop star Felix in a YouTube video with practically half one million views, however principally avoids the celeb hubbub.
“Human relationships are on the coronary heart of this journey. My grandmother all the time stated that in the long run, household and associates is all that continues to be,” he stated.
Reflecting his want to stay grounded in actuality, Frédéric just lately opened a neighborhood bakery, Pleincoeur, within the picturesque Paris district of Batignolles together with his spouse Claire.
“I don’t comply with trend,” he stated. “Above all, I like custom, respect for elders and customary sense. And once you take a look at the historical past of the home of Vuitton, it’s actually rooted in practicality.”
His goodies are offered on the LV Dream exhibition house and reward store in Paris, in addition to in Singapore, Shanghai and New York, with one other venue deliberate for later this 12 months.
A dessert by Maxime Frédéric from Louis Vuitton’s summer time restaurant in Saint-Tropez.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
However whereas snacks, pastries and confectionery are a part of the French life-style that Vuitton is eager to export, the culinary collective is all about cross-cultural exchanges. Every chef contributes native delicacies that can then seem on the menu in different places.
“There shall be some constants, however there will even be dishes actually rooted in every nation and also you’ll discover little touches of France, Italy or Bangkok on the menu, as a result of Louis Vuitton is all about journey,” stated Donckele.
Collaborations foster the spirit of innovation and collaboration.
Earlier this month, Indian chef Gaggan Anand — identified for combining molecular gastronomy with Thai and Japanese influences — joined forces with Yosuke Suga, the expertise behind Vuitton’s Sugalabo V in Osaka, for a three-day pop-up eating expertise at Gaggan at Louis Vuitton in Bangkok.
Cooks Gaggan Anand and Yosuke Suga at Gaggan at Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Chengdu’s The Corridor has additionally hosted a collection of partnerships with fellow Michelin-starred institutions reminiscent of Bangkok eatery Sühring or Caprice in Hong Kong. Zambrino will staff together with his counterpart Vicky Cheng of acclaimed restaurant Wing on a four-hands dinner out there for less than three seatings this Friday and Saturday.
“We’re creating future menus with 10 or extra arms,” Donckele stated, noting that purchasers could have entry to signature dishes from prime cooks throughout the planet, united by the identical set of values. “That’s distinctive. Immediately, there isn’t a restaurant on this planet that gives this.”
