When I was working in my first job engineering construction, what I liked the most was working with architects and making buildings that had this creative side coming from the architect and that were making them a big success.
It's very important that when you have a designer like Marc Jacobs, who is a genius, you give him complete freedom.
People think of politicians having true power, but that's less and less true. After all, they are often constrained or being edged into a corner by a whole series of contingencies.
What made Louis Vuitton famous was the quality. We don't do marketing; we just create products which are exceptional in their design and craftsmanship.
I am and will remain a tax resident in France and in this regard I will, like all French people, fulfill my fiscal obligations.
I deal with creativity all the time. What I have fun with is trying to transform creativity into business reality all over the world. To do this, you have to be connected to innovators and designers but also make their ideas livable and concrete.
When I took over Louis Vuitton, everyone said, 'It's already so big - what more can you do?' And since then, we've multiplied that success tenfold.
I'm more concerned about Marc Jacobs than the U.S. president.
Mastering the paradox of star brands is very difficult and rare - fortunately.
Once we decided to do a tower in New York, it had to say something about our group, reflecting the mix of modernity and creativity in our organization. It's a symbol.
From time to time, the Vienna Philharmonic could play without a conductor because they are so good.
Money is just a consequence. I always say to my team, 'Don't worry too much about profitability. If you do your job well, the profitability will come.'
I would never diminish the quality of Hermes. Hermes can be an even rarer and greater quality business, if they ever wanted to work with us.
You have to be just as mistrustful of straightforward rationality in business as you do of a uniquely gut approach.
The person who I admire most in business is Warren Buffett. He is a long-term investor and has brilliant ideas, and he sticks to them.
