2023-12-23 13:29:00
As a master chocolatier, it’s a bit like your job to make luxury in the form of pralines. In your opinion, has Belgian luxury evolved?
If I look at luxury over the last ten years, yes. People’s expectation of luxury is now transparency. And people are willing to pay. The new generation too, as long as they see meaning in it. I will take the example of my profession. The fact of working from the cocoa bean, of not buying ready-made chocolate, of paying the planters properly, of respecting biodiversity, the fact also of communicating what you release as CO₂ for the planet, the fact of work on the local economy – even if it is harder for chocolate… These concerns are present through labels and I am thinking of B-Corp. Label [qui certifie les entreprises ayant un impact environnemental et sociétal positifs, NdlR]. Luxury homes are starting to be certified for this, we wouldn’t have seen it before.
I will take this example which I find very beautiful to shed light on this notion of sustainability. Look at the house Sernels, [qui vend des jouets, avenue Louise NdlR]. Imagine how many generations these toys have been passed down, it’s mind-blowing. And this is part of the DNA of the house, sustainability.
Does this mean, Mr Marcolini, that luxury customers are now interested in the question of ethics and sustainability?
Totally.
At this Belgian chocolatier, we meet a lot of Japanese: “It was by looking at what a customer was holding that we understood why”
That’s very new! Five years ago, luxury consumers did not have these kinds of demands…
Fact. But let’s talk regarding wines. I’m not saying that everyone chooses “natural” wines, but the new generation is looking at how wines are made, biodynamic or not. These bottles are sometimes sold at prices you wouldn’t imagine… 40, 50 euros… Coffee is the same. Corica, which makes coffee in the center of Brussels. Before we would have made blends, ‘arabica’, ‘robusta’, now we are talking regarding expensive beans, which come from Ethiopia… It’s not a big deal to pay for that, but where does it come from? ? What’s in it? This additional value, this plus, is the value of luxury… Previously, there was a sort of excess: it was enough to place a pretty sign, we even knew that it might sound a little hollow… This is no longer absolutely the case today!
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“Previously, there was a kind of excess: it was enough to put up a pretty sign, we even knew that it might sound a little hollow… This is no longer the case today!”
It’s a profound change in the idea of luxury. Initially, luxury is something we buy because it says something regarding us on the surface. And you’re telling us regarding what’s inside luxury.
If we look at luxury houses that have longevity, they have always adopted this depth. I’m thinking of houses like Hermès or Delvaux, which have a century and a half of history. Their roots run deep. They don’t say: “Hey, let’s move on.” They are anchored, they are of that wood. Especially since today, expectations are being added, notably the question of the ecological footprint. We feel that luxury is not just regarding appearance: it now requires depth.
Brussels – The Merode: Pierre Marcolini: Pastry chef and chocolatier. In Brussels, December 8, 2023 ©JC Guillaume
What does luxury say regarding our time?
The luxury of our time says responsibility; it says commitment to the planet and to customers. It also says quality. It also describes the know-how and durability of a product. Finally, he expresses his commitment to the people who work on a product. Look at the way information circulates: what you say, if you don’t do it, tomorrow morning, you’re on social networks.
Before, the commitment was what we called “the customer promise”, and I’m not saying that it wasn’t always completely kept, but today this authenticity must be right! That’s what people are willing to pay today. I have the feeling that before, there was a kind of easy money and carefreeness. Today, we are ready to take out a sum, but we want to know what is behind it.
Around 1 billion euros, 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, 500,000 followers on social networks.
“Belgian chocolate know-how should be elevated to the rank of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage”
We sometimes have the impression that the luxury sector is untouchable. Have these luxury houses that you know well been impacted by the period, that is to say economic inflation, political issues?
There are different levels, of course, but all houses have been affected by inflation, and by the increase in wages, which is a good measure, because it maintains purchasing power. The third thing is energy. The fourth thing is the cost of raw materials. And we cannot always pass this on to the product, and by extension to the consumer. Price elasticity is not excessively extensible. Even in luxury.
We are coming out of Covid, we have inflation, a tense geopolitical climate which pushes our customers to take more time and precaution. So I’m always afraid to use the word ‘carefree’, because people aren’t carefree, but they’re not celebrating.
For a long time, it was said that luxury was a dream. Is this still the case ?
We must ensure that luxury has depth, we need that. I want to show houses that tell the history of Brussels because they make you dream. A fashion house like Natan, I’m sure it’s the stuff of dreams. A house like Delvaux too. But also the eyewear maker Ludovic. But it’s mainly because it’s not something every day. Luxury is part of an exceptional moment. At some point, we say to ourselves: “We’re going to fall for this”, “we’re going to do something crazy”.
Can I ask you what your favorite luxury item is?
I think that luxury is not just regarding an object. It is said that “luxury” is light. I remain convinced that the only privilege one can have in luxury is time. You know, I’m on a downward curve rather than an upward curve in life. I’m going to be a bit of a killjoy, but every year I look back and say to myself: “Is it December already?”. And it’s accelerating, it’s terrible… So, in fact, I appreciate the notion of time.
Besides, in all these houses, what is common is time. I’m going to speak to you from my own reference zone, neither books nor music, it’s gastronomy. There were two kitchens in the 17th century, when you read Antonin Carême, Vatel, Escoffier. What we called “the cuisine of the lords”, roasted on a spit. And then “farmers’ cuisine”, or offal that we cooked in the morning in the hope that in the evening it would be a little tenderized. Stews, stews, etc. The notion of time having become a luxury, these simmered, worked and awaited dishes have today become luxury dishes. Sacred paradox. So, we should not confine the concept of luxury to an object.
Pierre Marcolini, best pastry chef in the world: “I’m living a waking dream. But that wasn’t always the case…”
Luxury must be accessible. Or is it characterized by the fact that it is not for everyone?
It’s a very, very good question. I answer you with an anecdote. In my career, I worked for two and a half years at Wittamer, being responsible for decorative pieces. We worked with ‘Comme chez soi’ by Pierre Wynants, and every week, I made a sugar medallion “Happy birthday!”. One day, I met the pope of Belgian gastronomy, and timidly, I asked him: “How manybirthdays? “. He replied: “You can’t imagine the number of people who save up once in their life to eat ‘Comme chez Soi’.”
Everyone is attracted to luxury, ultimately.
And all customers are important. How often we have not done studies to understand our market. I’ll tell you another story. One day, I’m at the Sablon boutique, because, during the end-of-year holidays, the house has a principle: the marketing and communications people come to serve at this time when it’s a bit hot. I am present, and I observe this lady, entering the store. “I don’t know this house, but my grandchildren told me it was good, and I want to please them,” she confides to me. She is hesitating. I feel like she doesn’t have a lot of resources. I recommend something she can’t go wrong with, a vanilla praline. Delighted she is. At that moment, I said to him: “I offer it to you!”. There, she looks at me and protests:
– “But you are going to be scolded by Mr. Marcolini?”
– “Don’t worry, I’ll make do with it. I know how to talk to him.”
BEL, organic express
1937: Creation of the Chamber of High Commerce in Art and Luxury (at the initiative of Delvaux), ancestor of the BEL. 2006: the Chamber of High Commerce in Art and Luxury is transformed into “Brussels Exclusive labels” 2022: Pierre Marcolini becomes president. Before him, Sophie Helsmoortel of Cashmere, Cotton, Silk. The same year the label changed its name: “Brussels Expertise Labels”. This is the year of creation of the “BEL Prizes”, which seek to highlight exceptional entrepreneurship. 2023: The “Brussels Insider Expert” prize was awarded to Brasserie Cantillon. The “Brussels Transmission Prize” was awarded to Derek Daubechies. The artist offers ceramic lamps with his brand new label Terre Promise.
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