Marc Lelandais, President of the legendary Lancel brand, makers of luxury women’s accessories, is a quintessential representative of a true dolce vita lifestyle. Having worked in the luxury industry for many years, he’s a true embodiment of luxury culture with a subtle aesthetic feeling and dynamic style of business conduct.
– Marc, you’ve become President of Lancel not so long ago, but can you tell us if the company is in for change?
- Indeed, changes are already underway. First we transformed the brand’s concept, renewed our principles, concentrating on the concept of français légèreté (French lightness); we’ve reorganized the bag lines.
- One of the heralds of change was your project with Cecile Togni, star of the Parisian clubbing scene, wasn’t it?
- The first line that marked the transformation was Premier Flirt. Cecile Togni represents one of the facets of our company’s new philosophy: the spirit of a Parisian party, French club scene. She’s an essential Parisienne and a DJ, she’s playful, not too serious about life – a symbol of our company’s new values.
- Is this collection aimed at younger buyers of Lancel bags?
- No, it’s not about age; it’s about the attitude to one’s lifestyle. As far as inner self-definition goes, we subdivide our clients into those who don’t follow fashions blindly but have their own style. That’s why it’s important for our advertising campaign to include women who would be a symbol of different sides of this français légèreté concept, at the same time maintaining their natural beauty and charm. Today customers’ attitude to luxury has changed from "possessing" to "being". Lancel represents this new generation.
- What is the difference between working for Lancel and Richemont Luxury Group (RLG) and cooperating with Cardin, Escada or Dupont?
- There’s a big difference with RLG: I have understood the essence of time. In luxury industry we can’t buy time. When I came to Lancel I found many documents on the history of this brand in the archives – the brand is 130 years old. It was the first women’s accessories brand: Hermes, though it appeared earlier, specialized in saddle-making; Louis Vuitton were makers of luggage. Lancel’s founder Angela was a socialite in the true sense of the word and one of the first people to create the concept of women’s accessories.
- What was so attractive about working in luxury industry?
- Luxury industry is very close to me aesthetically. Being a perfectionist was a decisive factor in choosing this sphere. Luxury is one of the elements of a man being seduced by a woman. Luxury can be different: cakes, flowers, bags, diamonds are merely reflections of it.
- What things do you like to surround yourself with?
- I love handmade goods. I like things made of stone – sculptures, for instance. To me the material is more important, the brand is of secondary importance. It is also significant where the items I collect are kept.
I have a passion: I like buying old French homes of the 16th and 17th centuries. I decorate them myself. Only walls are left: the rest depends on my taste and mood. I own four old mansions; the fourth was bought two years ago, and I still work on it. I prefer a blend of French and Italian culture, a combination of modern design and early Renaissance.
- What is your life philosophy?
- Enjoy life. Be a hedonist, but not an epicurean.
- What do you like doing on holiday?
- Usually I travel much when working, so staying at home is bliss. Making a fire, cooking, spending some extra time with my two kids, Daphne and Eduard.
In the Middle Ages 112 of 365 days were holidays; I wish such luxury was available now! There are two important holidays in our family. Firstly, it’s Christmas. I’ve spent five years in Germany, and the tradition of Christmas markets there and in Austria is truly spectacular. At the time my children learned to think about the holiday as something magical and wonderful. The other holiday favoured by our family is the carnival of February 14. It’s connected with St. Valentine’s Day. The carnival is held yearly in France, though the Venetian festival is surely more widely advertised.
- Tell us about Lancel’s further plans for the Russian luxury market.
- Russian market is very versatile, it’s spread from Europe to Asia – the territory of your country is too big, too many nations inhabit it. We have many opportunities and options to make women irresistible. Russia is our second-big export market after China. And there’s another important project: using our produce and sample materials as an example, I’d like to introduce people to the history of accessories, different types of leather, organizing conferences and master classes, including those online. We also plan to create a real online museum of the brand.
Natalia Andrianova
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