Just in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Moët & Chandon has teamed up with Chef Yannick Alléno, to create a unique pop-up restaurant cultivating creativity, gastronomy and savoir-fête for a summer in Paris designed by Charles de Vilmorin.
As WWD reports, LVMH, which also owns Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart, is a premium partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which kicked off on July 26. Although French law bans the sale of alcohol inside stadiums, the bubbly is expected to flow in hospitality areas.
Moët & Chandon cellar master Benoît Gouez is in charge of the drinks menu. The venue is part of a push by the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand to create experiences and appeal to a new generation of consumers.
A finalist of the 2021 edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers, de Vilmorin designed the colorful decor for Moët in Paris by Allénos, ranging from the bar and restaurant’s frescoes to the logo, tableware and staff uniforms.
Alléno, a longtime ambassador of the Champagne-maker, has devised a menu designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes, with dishes ranging from duck foie gras terrine to vegetable curry, and desserts including chocolate fondant and cherry clafoutis.
“It’s the perfect occasion to attract probably a consumer that has not experienced Champagne yet, or is new to the category,” says Sibylle Scherer, who took over as chief executive officer of Moët & Chandon in July. “Hopefully, we make people fall in love with our maison and the passion we have for the product, but also our passion for welcoming people,” she adds.
It marks the first time that de Vilmorin, who shot to fame during the pandemic, has applied his creative touch to a hospitality venue. He was inspired by a visit to the Château de Saran, Moët & Chandon’s stately home in the vineyards of the Champagne region, for his nature-inspired drawings that incorporate birds and butterflies.
“They wanted to create a space that reflects the brand’s identity but is also quite innovative — something fresh and a little light,” says the designer, known for his swirly, fantastical sketches. “I felt really free and they allowed me to do what I liked.”
Moët & Chandon is no stranger to fashion collaborations, having created limited-edition bottles with the likes of Yoon Ahn, Virgil Abloh and Public School. But this is its most ambitious project to date with a fashion designer, signaling a new strategy for the house.
“Fashion should and will play an integral role for us in the future, be it in creating experiences, collaborating together on products or collaborating with creative talent such as photographers,” says Isabel May, chief marketing officer at Moët & Chandon. “It is a part of us as a maison and we will strengthen that even more going forward,” adds the executive, who joined the company from German online retailer Mytheresa in April.
Located in the Beaupassage pedestrian alley just steps from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Moët in Paris sits next to a bakery by Thierry Marx and a café by Pierre Hermé — both stars of French cuisine.
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