DYNAMIC DUO: Arnaud Donckele and Maxime Frédéric are bringing their winning duo back to Saint-Tropez.
The two chefs, who work together at the Cheval Blanc Paris hotel, have teamed up for the second consecutive year at the helm of Louis Vuitton’s summer restaurant at the White 1921 Hotel on the Place des Lices, WWD has learned.
The space, which opened Saturday, features Donckele’s take on Mediterranean cuisine, while Frédéric reinterprets classic French desserts.
The 40-seat outdoor restaurant, slated to remain open until the end of September, is decked out in rattan furniture accented with macramé. The Louis Vuitton monogram, rendered in the house’s 2024 resort tones of coral, orange and fuchsia, appears on everything from the table service to the decor.
The seasonal tableware collection, with a tropical design incorporating flowers, coral and starfish, is sold at the brand’s nearby store and will be available worldwide starting Friday.
The Saint-Tropez boutique also carries the LV By the Pool resort collection spanning ready-to-wear, bags, shoes and accessories. Clients can enjoy a hot or cool drink in the adjoining garden, while a customized Mini Moke vehicle is available on request to shuttle guests between the store and other dedicated spots.
As consumers switch spending from high-end goods to experiences, luxury brands are increasingly expanding into hospitality.
Vuitton opened its first branded café and restaurant in 2020 at its flagship boutique in Osaka, Japan, and has additional locations in Tokyo; Chengdu, China; Doha, Qatar; Bangkok, and Paris, where Frédéric helms a signature café and chocolate shop at the LV Dream exhibition space.
The Saint-Tropez opening marks the start of Vuitton’s resort activations, which include restaurants, cafés and pool takeovers and this year span from Miami to Macau. A temporary Louis Vuitton bar is set to open in Taormina, Italy, in June.
