PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault opened the 10th edition of Viva Tech – calling itself the “Fashion Week of Tech” – singing the praises of progress. “Bureaucracy, it’s a word that is too much present in Europe,” he…
id, taking the stage for a conversation with Viva Tech founder Maurice Levy. “When we started 10 years ago, nobody was talking about AI, it was not even a word. But now thanks to AI, we are able to kill part of the bureaucracy.” More from WWD The head of the world’s most valuable fashion conglomerate said that he still thinks of his group as a startup. “I still consider my group a startup
We are conglomerate of startups,” he said. “The goal [of a startup] is to grow and become a big company…but you must keep the spirit, and the spirit is still there.” The group announced the winners of its Innovation Awards, betting that the next wave of growth will come not only from generative AI, but from tech that improves transparency, brand discovery and operational efficiency across its businesses. The winners offer a peek into the group’s overall tech priorities as LVMH increasingly invests in artificial intelligence while navigating shifting consumer expectations on sustainability, authenticity and customer experience. This year it recognized supply-chain transparency platform Fairly Made, AI search optimization startup Bluefish and video generation company Synthesia.
Fairly Made received the Best Impact Award for its work helping brands trace raw materials and components throughout their supply chains. “There was no debate. I think this one was clearly standing out,” said Gonzague de Pirey, LVMH’s chief omnichannel and data officer, describing the jury’s selection process. “It’s a big challenge for the luxury industry,” said LVMH group IT and technology director Frank Le Moal. The group began working with Fairly Made four years ago on traceability across its supply chain, and it has become an…