奢侈品更是一种生活方式

法国精品行业联合会中国荣誉执行代表―刘钊向《私人飞机》讲述了法国文化和历史对其奢侈品品牌长期居于全球领先地位有着决定性的作用。同时他也向本刊分享了他的个人理念：奢侈品不只是物品，它也可以是一种生活方式。

Mr. Alan Liu, Comite colbert honorary representative in china, explained to U-Jet the role French culture and history have been playing in solidifying the country leadership in luxurious brands globally. Personally he thinks luxury is more a way of life than materialistic indulgence.

在法国君主路易十四建凡尔赛宫之前，法国本土的手工艺水平并不高，路易十四的财政大臣科尔贝为协助君主建凡尔赛宫，派很多学生到各地去学习当地先进的工艺，如北欧的瓷器，意大利的玻璃烘烤，德国的布料等。学生们学成归国后，加之从国外引进的专业人员，共同打造了这座历史上极富盛名的建筑。通过凡尔赛宫的建设，法国各方面的手工业水平突飞猛进。几个王朝过去，法国大革命爆发，新的资产阶级将君主制，但保留并延续了皇室贵族的生活习惯，从前专为皇室工作的人员继续为这些新贵服务，于是奢侈品和贵族的生活方式逐渐转往大众化。工业革命后，机械生产和传统手工艺的结合进一步将传统的奢华推向大众。

也许是天生爱好自由的个性，年轻的刘钊不甘于从事日复一日枯燥乏味的机关工作，在那个“下海”颇为流行的年代，也搭了趟顺风车。刘钊与生俱来优雅的气质使他被国际知名时尚奢侈品品牌相中，使其愿意将对奢侈品行业一无所知的刘钊从一张白纸培养到现在的绘声绘色。

刘钊和法国精品行业联合会结缘于2004年上海的（中法国文化年活动）―激情创意法国精品展，双方的愉快合作促成了长久关系的持续。法国精品行业联合会现拥有来自法国奢侈品商业和创新商品业的约70多家成员企业，涵盖了从时尚、红酒到美食、酒店等各个行业领域。它们当中有的是国际知名的大品牌，有的是只被区域性熟知的家族生意，无论规模多大，这些品牌共同的特点就是对自己的产品精益求精。严谨的工作态度加上文化历史因素都形成了法国奢侈品在全球的领头羊地位。而奢侈品在普通民众的眼中早已不再陌生，现今的很多年轻人愿意省吃俭用几个月买一个时尚奢侈品品牌产品，以彰显自己的时尚潮流向大势所趋。奢侈品的大众化，这也是法国精品行业联合会成立的初旨和目的―缩短法国奢侈商品与大众的距离。

近年来中国经济的腾飞和奢侈品市场增长的需求有目共睹，奢侈品进驻中国的同时，也是将本国的文化予以推广和传播。刘钊表示，外国奢侈品品牌之所以成功进驻中国并得以良好发展，是因为他们将品牌作为一种文化来推广。法国文化中饮酒像是前菜或甜点，在正餐以外的时间细细品尝，而在其过程中与友人闲谈同样不枉为享受的一种方式。反之，若将中国的白酒以相同的细节来品味，少去了那些餐桌上交际应酬的必备品，单纯在饭前或饭后少量轻酌，亦可以轻易被外国友人所接受。

和大多数消费者所表现的那样，刘钊认为中国的消费者在认识奢侈品和品牌方面尚处初级阶段，更注重物品方面的购买，而非服务。奢侈品的种类很广泛，除却时尚服饰，手提包等，诸如酒店美食，甚至到巴黎歌剧院歌剧、游览凡尔赛宫或艺术出版品等都可以称之为奢侈品。

奢侈品不是购买来给别人看，带给我们的应更多是精神层次的享受，或者说，是一种懂得如何享受的生活方式。

刘钊说他很喜欢巴黎或罗马街头民众坐在露天咖啡厅喝咖啡的景象，仿佛人们品味的不只是咖啡，而是人生。对于终日奔波于城市间，忙碌于工作中的大部分人群来说，悠闲的坐在街边咖啡厅的露天座位喝一杯味道纯正幽香的咖啡，不得不承认这样的生活方式确实也是一种奢侈品。

France was not particularly good at craftsmanship before Louis XIV built the Versailles. The treasurer Courbet had dispatched apprentices to all of Europe to learn the most refined craftsmanship ceramics in the Nordics, glazing in Italy and fabrics in Germany. They came back France, along with many specialists to build one of the most renowned architecture in the history. France was able to make large strides in craftsmanship in the process. A few dynasties later, the monarchy was overthrown by the emerging bourgeois in the French Revolution, but the ways of the court proved too alluring to vanish. Those used to serve the royals stayed on to pamper the new aristocrats, who helped to spread the tastes of the noble to the mass. The industrial revolution furthered democratized luxury by combining painstakingly the ingenuity of craftsmen with the versatility of the machines.

Born with a passion for freedom, the young Alan Liu grew restless in his boring government work years back. He was eager to be in business, just when it became hot to do so. The young Alan Liu was graceful and polished, a trait much appreciated by a famous international luxury house. The company was willing to take on someone who knew nothing about their trade, and the results of many years’ grooming have been spectacular.

In 2004, at the one of the China-France Culture Year events held in Shanghai The Best of Creative France Exhibition, Alan Liu met up with Comite colbert and a long-term relationship started to be fostered. The association Comite colbert has more than 70 members from the luxury and creative sectors, spanning from fashion, wine, to food and hotels. Some of them are international giants, others are regional family businesses. But they all share an ardent pursuit of excellence.

The French leadership in luxury comes from a rigorous work ethics, as well as culture and history. Today, luxurious goods are far from unfamiliar to ordinary people. Many young people are willing to save for a few months just to get their hands on a dream piece of product and be more like their peers. The mass adoption of luxury is much welcomed and promoted by Comite colbert, which has a mission to bring French luxury closers to the general public.

The Chinese economy has been raging ahead and the desire for luxury seems to be insatiable. When luxurious brands come to China, they bring with them the culture of their motherlands. Alan Liu believes that the success of many overseas luxury brands can be attributed to their skills in promoting their brands as cultural symbols. In the past, we Chinese didn’t take up wines and whiskey. Drinkers had lots of Chinese hard liquor instead. But in France culture, drinking is more like appetizer or dissert, to be savored outside your main course. On the other hand, if Chinese hard liquor can be tasted with the same leisure, moderately before and after meals, rather than being treated as an indispensable part of networking on the table, it might be better received by foreign friends.

Alan Liu recognizes that Chinese consumers are still very new to the world of luxury and brands. They pay too much attention to products and don’t appreciate services enough. Actually apart from fashion and accessories, there are many other types of indulgencies in the world, fine food, nice hotels, an opera at the Paris Opera House, a visit to the Versailles, and a quiet reading of publications of arts, to name just a few. Luxury is not for showing off; it is more about enjoying life and spiritual uplifting. Alan Liu for one loves watching people having coffee in an outdoor café on the streets of Paris and Rome. They are not just savoring coffee, but life. For people stressed out in cities, taking the time to have a cup of authentic and aromatic coffee in an outdoor café is indeed a luxury.

工匠：活着的珍宝

3月30日，法国文化通讯部长Frédéric Mitterrand（弗雷德里克・密特朗）向为法国精品业联合会成员单位工作的六位工匠颁发法国文学艺术骑士勋章。此殊荣是为了表示对这些工匠辉煌职业生涯的高度认可，他们的职业充满着激情和奢侈品行业的核心价值观：高标准、优良品质和创新；此外，他们还不遗余力地传播着他们的知识。此份荣耀也属于法国奢侈品行业，以表彰其在弘扬法国文化遗产、营造世界影响力的过程中发挥的作用。“六位工匠是其品牌和法国真正的‘活着的珍宝’。他们是年轻人无与伦比的榜样，”法国精品行业联合会主席兼首席执行官彭怡莉Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes评论道。

Craftsmen: Living Treasures

On March 30, the French Minister of Culture and Communication, Frédéric Mitterrand, presented the insignia of Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres to six artisans working for Colbert members. This distinction pays tribute to the careers of craftsmen inspired by passion and the core values of the luxury industry: high standards, superior quality and innovation. Furthermore, these artisans are devoted to the transmission of their knowledge. This honor celebrates the role played by French luxury in promoting France's cultural heritage and building its influence throughout the world. "These six craftsmen are truly 'Living Treasures' for their brand and for France. They give young people wonderful role models," commented Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes, President and CEO of the Comité Colbert.