2026-06-27 10:28
As the global macroeconomic pendulum continues to swing in an uncertain range, the luxury goods industry has also undergone profound logical reconstructions in recent years. On the one hand, the drastic fluctuations in gold prices, like a roller coaster, directly impact the cost side of jewelry brands; On the other hand, the consumer market has shown a trend of extreme pragmatism and a fervent pursuit of high-value hard luxury. In this context, some jewelry brands choose to hedge risks by dividing lightweight and high-end product lines, while others rely on celebrity endorsements and traffic acquisition to quickly harvest conversion rates.
But in this cycle of pursuing "speed" and "change", Van Cleef&Arpels (hereinafter referred to as "Van Cleef&Arpels") chose a seemingly "clumsy" and "inefficient" path. In May of this year, the Van Cleef&Arpels Perl é e limited time experience space was launched at Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou, and has since been launched in Hangzhou, Chengdu, Changsha, and Beijing. Starting from 2024, Van Cleef&Arpels has created limited time experience spaces for the Perl é e collection in different cities for the third consecutive year. As a high-end jewelry and watch family under the Richemont Group, why does Van Cleef&Arpels continue to invest in an offline experience space that is "not for sale, purely for experience"? In the face of the rapid rise of local brands, how does Van Cleef&Arpels face challenges and create "sustainable" value?
With these questions in mind, 21st Century Business Herald interviewed Laura Lai, Managing Director of Van Cleef&Arpels China. Lai Yuxin shares with us how Van Cleef&Arpels, with the determination of "long termism," overcomes the fog of cycles and becomes a friend of time by deciphering the business logic and brand strategy of the Perl é e series.
Data And Images
The Perl é e collection, born in 2008, appears somewhat unique in Van Cleef&Arpels' vast collection of jewelry. Compared to the Alhambra Four Leaf Lucky series, which is highly recognized by the public and inspired by the classic concrete pattern of four leaf clover, the Perl é e series does not have specific imagery, but instead extracts the "golden beads" that have been embellished on the edges of aristocratic works since the 1920s as the theme of jewelry design.
From the perspective of business, this is not a simple extraction of elements, but an exploration and capture of contemporary jewelry consumption trends by aristocratic families. Lai Yuxin stated that in the past, consumers were more easily attracted to natural inspired patterns such as butterflies, flowers, or birds because these concrete themes and imagery could quickly evoke emotional resonance. But with the maturity of the Chinese jewelry market, consumers' appreciation dimensions are constantly expanding. Lai Yuxin observed that current jewelry enthusiasts not only focus on the themes presented in their works, but also increasingly pay attention to the expression of craftsmanship and the beauty of materials behind the works.
Previously, we used to look at visual objects such as butterflies, insects, fish, flowers, and birds because we could quickly connect them from past experiences. But today, when we appreciate gold beads, we are actually looking at the craftsmanship - gold can actually display a three-dimensional and rounded texture through different techniques and craftsmanship. Lai Yuxin believes that from appreciating concrete themes, to paying attention to gemstone quality, and then feeling the vitality of gold craftsmanship, this is the progress of consumers' aesthetic appreciation of jewelry.
This "non concreteness" endows the Perl é e series with high commercial flexibility and inclusiveness. Previously, gold beads were just an element presented as decoration to enrich the three-dimensional level of jewelry. Today, we have extracted them separately, which has significant significance in the construction of the series section. Lai Yuxin explained that as more and more consumers have jewelry with iconic patterns such as clover and butterfly, how to achieve the stacking and matching of existing works has become a new trend in jewelry consumption. And the non concrete gold bead happens to play the role of a "universal connector", which will not conflict with any concrete design. The Perl é e series maintains a natural aesthetic resonance with many classic works of the family. Whether worn alone or in combination with other series, the Perl é e collection can harmoniously blend in, creating rich and personalized possibilities for wearers.
More importantly, the Perl é e collection exhibits an astonishing width on the matrix of works, which also gives it the potential to become the second growth curve of Van Cleef&Arpels' jewelry collection. According to Lai Yuxin, the Perl é e series covers three materials: white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold, and can effectively combine diamonds with precious gemstones, even extending to the field of watches. This unique compatibility has enabled the Perl é e series to grow into one of the most diverse collections of Van Cleef&Arpels over the course of more than a decade: from the thousand yuan Perl é e pearls of gold ring rings to diamond studded bracelets priced at tens of thousands, from everyday jewelry to the Perl é e Toi&Moi hidden wristwatches with rotatable lids, it covers a full range of price bands from entry-level to high-end, making it the first Van Cleef&Arpels item for young people and meeting the collection needs of high net worth individuals.
Data And Images
In today's luxury goods industry, where efficiency and conversion rates are widely pursued, Van Cleef&Arpels has been creating purely experiential, retail free limited time spaces for the Perl é e series for three consecutive years, which seems quite unconventional in terms of business logic. And unlike the common "in store exhibitions" in the industry, these limited time experience spaces are mostly located in the atrium of shopping malls, without doors, and anyone can freely enter to visit and try on.
Jewelry stores naturally have a sense of distance, and many people find it difficult to muster the courage to open that door when they are not ready to make a purchase, "Lai Yuxin said frankly. However, the purpose of Perl é e's limited time experience space has never been instant sales, but to" eliminate the sense of distance. We hope that consumers can touch jewelry and experience craftsmanship in a stress free environment. Today, she may just pass by and try it on, but this seed will sprout in her heart. Five or ten years later, when she is ready to own a piece of jewelry, the first thing she may think of will be Van Cleef&Arpels
This seeding marketing logic also determines its unique urban location strategy. As early as a few years ago, Van Cleef&Arpels chose its first immersive space in Changsha instead of a traditional first tier city. Consumers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have been exposed to luxury goods earlier and have a more mature understanding, but many consumers in new first tier and second tier cities also have a longing for jewelry art, but rarely have the opportunity to experience it up close. Lai Yuxin said that Van Cleef&Arpels will continue to cultivate different cities. From the "Dynamic and Dynamic Tangible, Art Narrates a Century" Van Cleef&Arpels high-end jewelry art exhibition held in Shamian, Guangzhou in 2024, as the first "business card" presented by the Maison to Guangzhou audiences, to deepening user awareness through the Perl é e series offline experience space, and to more interactive forms in the future, the brand has established long-term trust through repeated contact.
In the interview, Lai Yuxin also mentioned her views on the rise of local high-end gold and jewelry brands in recent years. She said, "I think this is a very good thing. Because it means that people are increasingly understanding that jewelry can provide significant value - let's not talk about emotional value, let's talk about practical value - in turbulent environments, they can give people a great sense of security. Many consumers come into contact with jewelry from the perspective of value preservation, and can see the beauty of jewelry works - in addition to the physical price value, there are also emotional, perceptual, and aesthetic values. This is an opportunity for the Chinese market to open up a broader mass consumer market
In the era of traffic supremacy, Van Cleef&Arpels continues its tradition of not hiring celebrity endorsements or buying hot search traffic for many years, maintaining a restrained expansion pace, and continuously holding various exhibitions and experiential activities across the country. These seemingly inefficient practices have enabled it to achieve steady growth during economic downturns.
Many people ask me why Van Cleef&Arpels can go through cycles. My answer is that we haven't done anything special, we just keep doing the same things as five or ten years ago. "Lai Yuxin said that jewelry is not a speculative business, it carries the most important moments in people's lives, such as the first year-end bonus, promotion commemoration, wedding token, and gift for the birth of a baby. For Van Cleef&Arpels, both restraint and perseverance are equally important, as it not only concerns the development of the family, but also the value and significance of the works cherished by consumers. This is not only a respect for the work, but also a long-term commitment to the consumers.
In Lai Yuxin's view, Van Cleef&Arpels' long termism is not a slogan, but a strictly enforced 'discipline'. The core of this discipline is the defense of constant values. Delivering a piece of work to a customer today is a promise that must ensure the value of the important moments in life it connects will not change, "said Lai Yuxin. In order to fulfill this commitment, brands must exercise restraint in their business operations and persistently invest. This seemingly inflexible 'rigidity' is essentially a long-term protection of consumer assets. And it is precisely this adherence to discipline that has brought Van Cleef&Arpels commercial certainty that transcends cycles. We have truly achieved performance and growth from this constant, which has strengthened our determination to continue, "Lai Yuxin emphasized." The establishment of trust is the most important thing for us
In 2010, Van Cleef&Arpels officially entered the Chinese market through a fully direct sales model, and Lai Yuxin became the "number one employee" of the brand in China. Over the course of 16 years, she witnessed the cyclical process of China's luxury goods market from explosive growth, fervent pursuit to gradual return to rationality. As a senior manager and important witness who has been deeply involved in the luxury goods industry in China for many years, Lai Yuxin has a profound insight into the unique ecology of the local market: "China is a rapidly changing and ecologically unique market, and many globally applicable methods are not feasible here. Brands must learn to adapt, but adaptation does not mean blindly following." She admitted, "All marketing methods are just carriers, and ultimately what can retain consumers is always the work itself
At the end of the interview, Lai Yuxin also expressed her long-term confidence in the Chinese luxury goods market. She pointed out that despite the current downward pressure on the global economy, the resilience of the Chinese market and consumers' pursuit of a better life have not changed. For her, Van Cleef&Arpels' 16 years in the Chinese market have confirmed a simple business principle: as long as she adheres to the original intention of constant value, continues to cultivate with patience and perseverance, time will eventually pay off.
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