Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH has been knighted by the Queen. Well, I was in London when the news broke, making … not the headlines…. the fourth page of the FT. So I asked the Real English People of London what they thought about it. Surprise was their first reaction….
– Bernard who?
– Dior, Veuve Clicquot and consort…
– Ah Yes! That Bernard …knighted you say? But that cannot be true!
– Yes! Knighted!
– You mean honorary knight?
– Hugh? What is honorary knight?
– Well he cannot wear the title, in other words he cannot be called “Sir”. –
– Ah? He is still a knight though?
– Technically he is not…
– Well then why did the Queen make such a decision?
The FT ‘s article mentions that LVMH has created 3 000 jobs in England. Not a sufficient reason you would think. But then a few pages later, in the FT magazine, is another interesting article: Will French Women Arriving Adapt to London Fashion? With Francois Hollande’s new tax laws, it seems that (rich) French people are massively immigrating to London, buying houses and swiping all the available slots at Lycee Charles de Gaulle. Are wives tagging along going to adopt London rather laid back and hippie fashion? The FT ‘s answer is adamant: no. French women will stay as they are: chic and uptight and rather conservative. So yes! French women are arriving and London is welcoming them. And yes! Bernard Arnault, freshly knighted, will be there to dress them up! In other words, France and England are experiencing for the first time ” le parfait amour”, the perfect love!
PS: Bernard Arnault announced recently that he will seek the Belgian nationality. There is no end to globalization!
Pascale Richard 