Montblanc: combining artistry and writing
Montblanc, the leading global maison for luxury business lifestyle, re-opened its boutique in the prestigious Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi recently. “Day & Night” magazine had the opportunity to chat with Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc Middle East, India, Africa, Greece & Turkey, on the newly renovated boutique, personalisation services offered, and The Library Spirit campaign of the maison
Can you tell us about the Montblanc boutique in Galleria Mall?
We are officially reopening our boutique here, which is very close to our heart because we were one of the first maisons to be in the Galleria ten years ago when it was opened. We had closed the boutique to renovate it and introduce the Neo 3.0 concept, which gives it a completely different atmosphere. This allows us to display our products in each category in the manner worthy of it; also, now each category – writing instruments, leather, watches – has its own space. Another very important detail in the boutique is the personalisation wall, where you can choose the colour and font for your embossing or engraving, which we will do here in the boutique.
We also have an Ink Bar and we have introduced here, for the first time in the country, a space where our specialised technicians will be able to clean our client’s nib and writing instruments, directly in front of them. Our clients and collectors, I am sure, will be most appreciative of this when they can actually see specialists working on their writing instruments.
Do you also do customisation?
Yes, we do customisation where customers can choose colours and fonts. We also work with artists who do artistic personalisation directly.
Are there any future plans for more boutiques in the region?
We have seen good growth in the past few years in the region and the reason partly is that we bring to our clients in the Middle East, India, and Africa the Montblanc environment – our experiences and atmosphere – through our boutiques. Today, we have more than 80 boutiques in the region, and I think in terms of boutique network we are the biggest in the industry. As a client, when you want to buy a piece of art, a project that has been made by a craftsman, something that carries heritage and know-how, you want to do it in the house of that maison. This is a strategy that we adopted a few years ago and it is working well.
One of the problems that Montblanc faces is that demand far outstrips supply; are there any plans to address this issue?
Yes, this is a problem that we face but it is a good problem to have. However, we do want to avoid having unhappy clients or frustrated collectors. The maison is trying to do the maximum on a daily basis to avoid that.
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is celebrating its 50th anniversary; is that why Montblanc unveiled the Montblanc Masters of Art Homage to Vincent van Gogh collection this year?
Yes, indeed that is one of the reasons, but in order to develop writing instruments limited to say 90 pieces, 161 or 888 pieces, it takes between four to six years. This Masters of Art limited editions have been in the pipeline for quite some years now and we tried to bring it to life and to the market at the same time as the anniversary.
The Van Gogh collection is the most colourful writing instrument that Montblanc has ever created; was there any difficulty in getting it approved?
It is very difficult to get approval for products that are produced in limited editions. This was even more so for a great artist like Van Gogh, as we could not achieve it without using the same colours and techniques that he did. All the designs were created in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum and we will be having more such collaborations in the future.
Can you explain what The Library Spirit campaign is all about?
The Library Spirit is something that is very relevant today as our perceptions of libraries have changed. It is no longer the dusty place it was earlier; today, there are many different kinds of libraries – from the very modern one you have here in Dubai or in Paris to the libraries in private houses that are very beautiful, classical libraries. They all have two things in common: one is the art of writing, which is something that Montblanc also has, and the other is the desire to discover; that is why you go to a library, you go to discover and learn.
That is something that we in Montblanc also have in our DNA; since our beginning, we have been bringing innovation to all our products – the idea of pushing the limits and discovering more all the time. When we talk about Montblanc’s leather category, it fits in very well as the business lifestyle companion especially with the city vibe it brings with it.
The first two episodes of The Library Spirit focused on Milan and then London; what is the criteria for picking the cities?
We picked the cities based on their relevance – to the campaign, the maison, our clients, and the people we want to talk to. First was Milan, now London; the next episode will be on the other side of the Atlantic.
Montblanc Boutique in Galleria Mall
The maison debuted its latest global Neo 3.0 interior concept in UAE at its boutique in the prestigious Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, following the installation of its latest global retail concept currently being rolled out in key flagship boutiques around the world.
The Neo 3.0 design expands on earlier Neo iterations by French designer and interiors architect Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, adding travertine and handmade concrete wall finishes to the existing walnut and black lacquer of the boutique. The interior layout of the boutique creates dedicated areas for the Maison’s portfolio of timepieces, writing instruments, leather goods, accessories and eyewear, and growing range of technology devices. Also featured is the maison’s first Ink Bar in Abu Dhabi, offering customers the chance to test the full spectrum of Montblanc writing instruments, nibs, and inks.
Montblanc’s newly launched Sartorial leather collection enjoys its own dedicated display area to showcase its distinctive styling options and new functionalities. Designed by Artistic Director, Marco Tomasetta, the collection features design codes inspired by the beauty and experience of handwriting. Comprising a selection of bags and smaller accessories in softer leather with a deep two-tone effect and new colours, the collection introduces a modular system that allows small pieces to be attached to larger bags – creating many customisation possibilities.
In addition to the maison’s broad selection of core writing instruments, watch enthusiasts will be able to appreciate the selection of high complication timepieces featured, including the 1858 collection, Star Legacy, and Heritage collections. Sought-after luxury leather goods include a variety of the latest sleek modern designs desired by today’s style-conscious professionals and urban travellers.
The Montblanc boutique can be found on Lower Floor Galleria.
