Exclusive: “We will remain the small kid in the big garden,” how Boucheron’s CEO turned a challenge into an advantage
Hélène Poulit-Duquesne speaks with the directness of someone who has spent a decade proving doubters wrong. When she arrived at Boucheron in 2015, the storied maison was often described as the “sleeping beauty” of Place Vendôme—a phrase that, while poetic, masked a harsh reality about brand perception and market position. This soon changed.
“I think the pivotal moment has been the [2018] renovation of our flagship boutique in Place Vendôme,” she tells Tatler during a video call from Paris. “No matter how digital the world in which we live is, at some point, humans need to [see the] physical reality of the story that you’re telling.”
The transformation proved dramatic. Pre-renovation studies revealed that clients and competitors alike viewed Boucheron as “old-fashioned” and “gloomy”. The same research, conducted after the renovation with the same respondents, positioned the brand alongside key competitors in the watch and jewellery categories. “The physicality is really important, even in our digital world, and it’s been really pivotal. We have seen the brand’s [massive growth] since 2019.”
This philosophy of physical storytelling extends to every Boucheron boutique worldwide, each designed to reflect local culture while maintaining French heritage. “I decided that I wanted each boutique in the world to be different, so our retail concept is only a frame[work],” she says. She personally sources antique objects to decorate the stores in each location, believing that “objects have a soul and they bring their history with them, so I love mixing something which is very contemporary [with] old pieces”.
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Boucheron Carte Blanche Impermanence Thistle (Photo: courtesy of Boucheron)
The approach creates cultural connections specific to each destination. Beyond physical spaces, Poulit-Duquesne has championed groundbreaking product innovation. The 2018 launch of “eternal flowers” pieces for Boucheron’s 160th anniversary, using real flowers, exemplifies her hands-on approach. “I was obsessed about giving eternity to what is the most ephemeral, which is nature. We managed to launch nine real flowers that were embedded in resin in the rings.” With a small team in place, Poulit-Duquesne personally piloted the innovation alongside creative director Claire Choisne. The pair’s most recent creative collaboration was on the Impermanence high jewellery collection, unveiled in Paris in July last year.
Not every initiative has succeeded immediately. She speaks candidly about 2019, when, despite anniversary investments, the company missed its budget targets, a result she took hard. “For me, it was a disaster, because I’m not used to not achieving [my goal].” The experience taught her to be patient when it comes to market dynamics, understanding that substantial brand investments require time to translate into sales results.
Global expansion brought unexpected revelations about brand perception across markets. “The most unexpected thing for me was that I discovered a brand that had a very different image, country by country—which, for me, is a disaster.” In Japan, for example, she discovered Boucheron was perceived as “a small bridal brand selling wedding bands. We were not in competition [with] the big names.”
Her solution was uncompromising consistency in storytelling. “I [asked] the team to tell exactly the same story everywhere in the world.” The Japanese market transformation required years of patience, culminating in the 2023 opening of a flagship store in Tokyo’s Ginza district. “We have four floors. It’s a 1,000 sq m [10,800 sq ft] building, which is super innovative. We really exported the concept of the family home from Place Vendôme to Ginza.”
Poulit-Duquesne’s philosophy of differentiation, which is localisation of a French brand, permeates every business decision. “In any meeting, in any project that the team presents to me, I always ask a question: would another jewellery brand do exactly the same? If the answer is yes, we don’t do it.” Her reasoning is strategic: “We are smaller than the other brands. We don’t have the same level of investment and budget, so if we just follow what the other ones are doing, we will [remain] the small kid in the big garden.”
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Place Vendôme flagship boutique in Paris (Photo: courtesy of Boucheron)
This approach even revolutionised packaging. In many companies, especially in the luxury world, there’s a recurring pattern: all the new marketing people want to redesign the packaging. “It happened at the beginning of my career. I used to work in cosmetics and it was exactly the same. Each time a new marketing director came in, [they] wanted to change the packaging so that everybody could see there was something new. And so, my team came to me and said, ‘We want to change the box. We don’t like it. We’re going to change it.’” However, she pushed the team towards radical innovation. “I said to them, “My brief will be no pack is a new pack. I want you to eradicate the pack for sustainability reasons.’”
Poulit-Duquesne identifies fundamentally as a storyteller. “I think that storytelling is crucial in the luxury world. I think it’s part of luxury by essence. I love telling stories, not only in the way I’m working but also in my personal life. The key is to stick to the vision—to be stubbornly committed to it.”
This commitment to excellence extends to every aspect of brand communication. “The most important thing is that we need to create assets that are at the level of the project. We raise the level of storytelling to match the same level of beauty and achievement.”
She identifies transformative trends for luxury’s next decade. Sustainability will become crucial, though she adds, “For the time being, clients do not ask for anything about sustainability.” Experiential luxury will dominate: “The clients will consume less product but more experience. The product is just one part of what brands have to bring to the client.”
Her leadership philosophy was shaped by mentors—who, perhaps surprisingly, are all male. “I never felt that being a woman has been a problem for [career success],” she says. She was particularly influenced by her father, while professional mentorship also came from a former luxury executive she reported to in a previous job. “He’s like my dad and I’m still friends with him. We still see each other 10 years later.”
After a decade of transformation, Boucheron’s awakening appears complete, but Poulit-Duquesne’s energy suggests this is merely the beginning of a longer story. The sleeping beauty of Place Vendôme has not just awakened; under her leadership, it has learnt to dance.
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