How Paris Agency 1889 Helps Luxury Brands Woo Ultra-Wealthy VICs


PARIS — The luxury sector is grappling with its first slowdown in 15 years, but one segment is thriving: the VIC.

An acronym for “very important customer,” the term designates a cohort that’s seemingly immune to economic gloom, as witnessed by the $50 million wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice.

Brands competing to woo the 1 percent have one Paris-based agency on speed-dial: 1889 specializes in the kind of experiences that money can’t buy.

Over the past decade, the company has worked with houses including Valentino, Gucci, Cartier, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Piaget and Moët & Chandon to design custom events for high-net-worth individuals attending shows in Paris. 

From a private dinner in the apartment of a prominent art collector to a helicopter ride to a castle ruin, anything is possible. 

Through its hospitality arm, 1889 also designs full-blown luxury destinations like Maison LVMH, a pop-up space in an elegant private residence where LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton welcomed athletes and VIP guests during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Aurélie de Royer and Jimmy Pihet

Aurélie de Royer and Jimmy Pihet

Courtesy of 1889

Aurélie de Royer, who founded the agency in 2016 with Thomas Mesmin, has seen brands step up clienteling activities since the end of last year, as they cut down on group events to focus on pampering their best customers.

“Some figures suggest that 2 percent of VICs account for around 20 percent of luxury revenues,” she said. “The houses are telling us the VIC is key today, because they are the ones fueling growth.”

Top clients qualify for all-expenses-paid trips to Paris during the ready-to-wear and haute couture fashion weeks. Think five-star hotels, fancy restaurants and tailor-made experiences, not to mention the little extras: flowers, gifts, hair and makeup before the show.

“A VIC should never have to take out their credit card,” de Royer said.

An Emotional Connection

With a background in gastronomy, she has a network of top chefs, while Mesmin is a former luxury analyst. In 2019, French luxury consulting firm MAD acquired a majority stake in their agency, helping it to ride out the coronavirus pandemic when travel ground to a halt.

Once business bounced back, they brought on fashion industry veteran Jimmy Pihet as director of 1889 Experience.

A view of Place Vendôme in Paris

A view of Place Vendôme in Paris.

Dominique Maitre for WWD

The longtime former spokesman of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body, he has parlayed his extensive contacts and encyclopedic knowledge of brands to curate experiences in tune with the DNA of each house. 

Pihet is passionate about connecting visitors with artists, artisans, gallerists, collectors, musicians, chefs and other purveyors of the French art de vivre. 

“Our network is what money can’t buy. You’re going to meet people who will share their know-how, their passion, and it’s an emotional connection,” he said. “Thanks to this, through word of mouth, a VIC will go from a customer to an ambassador of the brand.”

As far as he’s concerned, the more exclusive the group, the better. “We like intimacy. Between two and six people is ideal,” Pihet said. 

As might be expected, all customer data provided by the brands is strictly confidential. “We don’t keep listings. Once the event is over, we erase the information,” he explained.

As luxury houses have set up dedicated departments to manage their VIP relations, the nature of the job has evolved. For instance, the post-show dinner, once reserved for press, has now become de rigueur for visiting VICs and their sales associates, who accompany them at every stage of the trip — and nothing is left to chance.

CHANTILLY, FRANCE - JULY 05: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Florence Pugh attends the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Chateau de Chantilly on July 05, 2023 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Florence Pugh attends the Valentino haute couture fall 2023 show.

Getty Images

“In the past, VIC departments did pretty much what they wanted,” noted de Royer. “Nowadays, they have to get everything approved by the artistic direction, because it has become a strategic issue for the houses. For us, it means an additional layer of vetting, which makes the projects a little more complex, but even more exciting.”

Pihet said it’s hard to say where the pressure is coming from. “Is it because VICs are increasingly demanding? I don’t know, but strategically, they matter more to houses than they did in the past, and I believe they have become just as important as press,” he noted. 

Weathering Headwinds

That has some very direct consequences for media outlets covering the shows. As brands trim budgets and try to convey a feeling of exclusivity with intimate venues, editors are increasingly struggling to secure invitations. 

“Where brands have reduced the number of guests, the number of VICs has remained stable, meaning they are proportionally more represented at shows,” Pihet said.

Another consequence of the slowdown in luxury spending is the growing importance of guidelines: step-by-step templates for events and experiences that can be replicated across markets.  

“We created our first guidelines in 2021 and demand has boomed since, accelerating in 2024 and 2025,” said de Royer. “There’s a growing need and desire to deal with customers locally and pamper them wherever they are — also because you can’t have 400 clients from all over the world traveling to each show.”

The Maison LVMH pop-up during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

The Maison LVMH pop-up during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Courtesy of 1889

The one area that has struggled is hospitality, following the Maison LVMH project last year and an equally ambitious project in 2023 for Eminente, the LVMH-owned rum brand, which took over a Paris townhouse near Place des Vosges for six months.

“We created a restaurant, a bar, four guest suites and a swimming pool from scratch,” de Royer recalled. “We don’t expect to have a project of this scale in the next six months because the return on investment is probably longer.”

1889, which also works with private clients directly, posted sales of 4.3 million euros in 2024, with gross margin up 20 percent year-on-year. De Royer hopes to keep gross margin stable this year, despite a forecast decline in revenues.

“The start of the year was a little sluggish, but things have picked up nicely,” she said. “Since April, we’ve seen good business.”

Pihet noted that despite the negative outlook for luxury, brands are requesting increasingly rarefied experiences. 

“You have this tiny segment of the population which is relatively immune to headwinds, and therefore the houses are prioritizing this clientele,” he said. “If you don’t treat them well, they will naturally move to a house that pampers them a little more.”



#Paris #Agency #Helps #Luxury #Brands #Woo #UltraWealthy #VICs

Related Posts

Carrie’s Right: Cheating in a Relationship Doesn’t Have to Be a Disaster

I say this as someone who has both cheated and been cheated on, by the way, which I feel is important to clarify. For me, cheating was almost like an…

Keke Palmer Brings Platform Power & Capri Trend to Essence Festival

Keke Palmer sported a black pair of Saint Laurent platform sandals at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, while embracing the capri pants resurgence on Sunday. Keke…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *