Boucheron on the rise between history and innovation: 'Next target the United States'
In ten years, CEO Hélène Poulit-Duquesne has managed to reawaken 'the sleeping beauty of Place Vendome', transform it into a brand with global ambitions and one of the most promising in the Kering group
It is a figure from the past, but it expresses the future: according to the Art Tactic Jewelry Report and Christie's sales data, between 2020 and 2025 auction sales of Boucheron creations increased by 36 per cent, more than double the jewellery sales in general (+15 per cent), with an average price of EUR 105,000, up 26 per cent. Back to the present: Kering's 2025 annual report, published last Tuesday, states that the maison founded in 1858 by Frédéric Boucheron in Place Vendôme (where it still has its headquarters, at number 26) and part of the group since 2000, has recorded "a double-digit increase in sales". "We have done a great job," emphasises Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, at the helm of the maison since 2015, "When I arrived, Boucheron was the sleeping beauty of Place Vendôme.
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Where did you start from?
"Its image was not as defined as that of other brands and until the entry of Kering it was powered only by the founder's family's capital. I wrote a plan, submitted it to Pinault (then ceo of Kering, ndr), who approved that precise list and investment request. We started with communication, to strengthen and also standardise the perception of Boucheron in the world. In Japan, for example, we were 40 years old but still perceived as a bridal brand, and not even for solitaires, but for wedding rings, a rather low positioning, very far from what we have in France. Then we focused on retail development in Asia, especially in China, where we were not present: it was very fast, from 2019 to today we opened 18 boutiques. Finally, I decided that we would focus on the United States at a later stage."
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A moment that arrived in 2024: since then you have opened in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and this year you will arrive in Miami.
"For us, the United States is a new Eldorado, but I think it will take at least 10-20 years to build our image and business in that market, which requires a lot of investment and a long-term perspective.
And the other countries?
"In China we are doing well: our widespread presence allows us to respond effectively to customers who, after Covid, buy much more within the country's borders. In the Middle East, where we are very well known and appreciated, we have signed a joint venture with Al Tayer, which will allow us to internalise our network of shops. We would certainly like to arrive in Italia as well, perhaps in Milan. We are looking for the right place'.
In these 10 years, Boucheron's style has also evolved profoundly.
"I thought we should focus only on jewellery and fine jewellery and focus on strong innovation, in shapes and materials. I asked Claire Choisne, the creative director, to follow me, she was the right person. She now signs two haute joaillerie collections a year, one in which she reinterprets our archives and another, 'Carte blanche', in which she has total freedom'.
