奢侈品更是一種生活方式

法國精品行業聯合會中國榮譽執行代表—劉釗向《私人飛機》講述了法國文化和歷史對其奢侈品品牌長期居于全球領先地位有著決定性的作用。同時他也向本刊分享了他的個人理念：奢侈品不只是物品，它也可以是一種生活方式。

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.

在法國君主路易十四建凡爾賽宮之前，法國本土的手工藝水平并不高，路易十四的財政大臣科爾貝為協助君主建凡爾賽宮，派很多學生到各地去學習當地先進的工藝，如北歐的瓷器，意大利的玻璃烘烤，德國的布料等。學生們學成歸國后，加之從國外引進的專業人員，共同打造了這座歷史上極富盛名的建筑。通過凡爾賽宮的建設，法國各方面的手工業水平突飛猛進。幾個王朝過去，法國大革命爆發，新的資產階級將君主制推翻，但保留并延續了皇室貴族的生活習慣，從前專為皇室工作的人員繼續為這些新貴服務，于是奢侈品和貴族的生活方式逐漸轉往大眾化。工業革命后，機械生產和傳統手工藝的結合進一步將傳統的奢華推向大眾。

也許是天生愛好自由的個性，年輕的劉釗不甘于從事日復一日枯燥乏味的機關工作，在那個“下海”頗為流行的年代，也搭了趟順風車。劉釗與生俱來優雅的氣質使他被國際知名時尚奢侈品品牌相中，使其愿意將對奢侈品行業一無所知的劉釗從一張白紙培養到現在的繪聲繪色。

劉釗和法國精品行業聯合會結緣于2004年上海的（中法國文化年活動）—激情創意法國精品展，雙方的愉快合作促成了長久關系的持續。法國精品行業聯合會現擁有來自法國奢侈品商業和創新商品業的約70多家成員企業，涵蓋了從時尚、紅酒到美食、酒店等各個行業領域。它們當中有的是國際知名的大品牌，有的是只被區域性熟知的家族生意，無論規模多大，這些品牌共同的特點就是對自己的產品精益求精。嚴謹的工作態度加上文化歷史因素都形成了法國奢侈品在全球的領頭羊地位。而奢侈品在普通民眾的眼中早已不再陌生，現今的很多年輕人愿意省吃儉用幾個月買一個時尚奢侈品品牌產品，以彰顯自己的時尚潮流向大勢所趨。奢侈品的大眾化，這也是法國精品行業聯合會成立的初旨和目的—縮短法國奢侈商品與大眾的距離。

近年來中國經濟的騰飛和奢侈品市場增長的需求有目共睹，奢侈品進駐中國的同時，也是將本國的文化予以推廣和傳播。劉釗表示，外國奢侈品品牌之所以成功進駐中國并得以良好發展，是因為他們將品牌作為一種文化來推廣。法國文化中飲酒像是前菜或甜點，在正餐以外的時間細細品嘗，而在其過程中與友人閑談同樣不枉為享受的一種方式。反之，若將中國的白酒以相同的細節來品味，少去了那些餐桌上交際應酬的必備品，單純在飯前或飯后少量輕酌，亦可以輕易被外國友人所接受。

和大多數消費者所表現的那樣，劉釗認為中國的消費者在認識奢侈品和品牌方面尚處初級階段，更注重物品方面的購買，而非服務。奢侈品的種類很廣泛，除卻時尚服飾，手提包等，諸如酒店美食，甚至到巴黎歌劇院歌劇、游覽凡爾賽宮或藝術出版品等都可以稱之為奢侈品。

奢侈品不是購買來給別人看，帶給我們的應更多是精神層次的享受，或者說，是一種懂得如何享受的生活方式。

劉釗說他很喜歡巴黎或羅馬街頭民眾坐在露天咖啡廳喝咖啡的景象，仿佛人們品味的不只是咖啡，而是人生。對于終日奔波于城市間，忙碌于工作中的大部分人群來說，悠閑的坐在街邊咖啡廳的露天座位喝一杯味道純正幽香的咖啡，不得不承認這樣的生活方式確實也是一種奢侈品。

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：活著的珍寶

3月30日，法國文化通訊部長Frédéric Mitterrand（弗雷德里克·密特朗）向為法國精品業聯合會成員單位工作的六位工匠頒發法國文學藝術騎士勛章。此殊榮是為了表示對這些工匠輝煌職業生涯的高度認可，他們的職業充滿著激情和奢侈品行業的核心價值觀：高標準、優良品質和創新；此外，他們還不遺余力地傳播著他們的知識。此份榮耀也屬于法國奢侈品行業，以表彰其在弘揚法國文化遺產、營造世界影響力的過程中發揮的作用。“六位工匠是其品牌和法國真正的‘活著的珍寶’。他們是年輕人無與倫比的榜樣，”法國精品行業聯合會主席兼首席執行官彭怡莉Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes評論道。

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.