The grand reopening of Tiffany & Co. in New York, American luxury on French time

Manhattan witnessed a dazzling event in this early spring as Tiffany & Co. celebrated the grand reopening of its iconic Fifth Avenue store.

The event marked a new chapter for the historic brand under the ownership of LVMH, emphasizing its commitment to reinvigorating the world of luxury and asserting its dominance in the global market.

In what some have referred to as a brief return to the Gilded Age, the reopening of Tiffany & Co.‘s flagship store on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street has garnered unanimous praise. After four years of renovations led by renowned luxury architect Peter Marino, the iconic store unveiled its stunning new look to the world. Israeli actress and Tiffany & Co. ambassador Gal Gadot, alongside Alexandre Arnault, the second son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, and Anthony Ledru, CEO of Tiffany & Co., inaugurated the store on April 26th, marking the beginning of a new era for the American brand.

The refurbished store now spans 10,000 square meters, housing three additional floors, a glass dome, a VIP suite, and a restaurant – the Blue Box Café. It also serves as a museum, showcasing exclusive artworks by artists such as Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Anish Kapoor. Though the cost of the renovation remains undisclosed, experts estimate it to be in the realm of several hundred million dollars.

According to Anish Melwani, head of LVMH’s North American subsidiary, “The New York store is the largest space in the world dedicated to a single brand.” The acquisition of Tiffany & Co. in 2021 for 16 billion euros marked LVMH’s 26th and most expensive acquisition in history. Since then, every aspect of the brand’s strategy has been meticulously reimagined, while still preserving its rich heritage.

The ultimate goal of this transformation is to establish Tiffany & Co. as the leader in the highly competitive “hard luxury” market, which encompasses jewelry and watchmaking. According to Bain, global growth in this sector reached 25% last year, amounting to $28 billion. With sales predicted to reach $7.4 billion by 2025, Tiffany & Co. seems well on its way to achieving this objective.

Alexandre Arnault emphasizes that LVMH’s long-term management approach has allowed the brand to flourish. One significant change includes doubling the average price of the most accessible products and quadrupling global sales in high jewelry. Disruptive and innovative marketing campaigns featuring the likes of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as collaborations with watchmaker Patek Philippe, have contributed to Tiffany & Co.’s newfound desirability.

In terms of product development, the brand now focuses on gold jewelry, without abandoning its iconic silver pieces. Recent successful collections include the Knot and Lock lines, with prices ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. As Bernard Arnault, founder of LVMH, told The Wall Street Journal, “When you create desire, the profits follow.“

This ambitious vision for Tiffany & Co. extends beyond the Manhattan flagship store, with plans to open or renovate stores in Tokyo, Seoul, Milan, and London. The goal is clear: to propel Tiffany & Co. to the top of the global luxury market, while preserving the essence of its storied past.