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Passing the torch: Chaumet CEO Charles Leung talks fine jewellery, breaking barriers and challenging traditions
By Shivani Dubey | 12 September 2024 | Design, Style
Charles Leung, CEO of haute jewellery brand Chaumet, shares his jewellery philosophy and the importance of breaking traditions
When Hong Kong native Charles Leung took over as the CEO of luxury jewellery house Fred in 2018, he became the first Asian CEO of an LVMH brand, where he leveraged his extensive knowledge of the Asian and EMEA markets to take the company to new heights. Now, he has taken on the mantle at Chaumet, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious jewellery brands, inspired by French Empress Josephine.
Charles has already made waves since his appointment in March, with exciting launches such as Chaumet becoming the first jeweller to design the Olympic medals. As such, each medal given to Olympic and Paralympic champions at the 2024 Paris Games will contain a piece of the Eiffel Tower – making an already prestigious honour even more coveted for the Olympians who will receive them.
Catching up with Charles at the brand’s New Bond Street boutique in London, he reveals that his Asian roots and passion for jewellery storytelling – inspired by his early beginnings at Cartier, 12 years at Chaumet, and recent experience at the helm of Fred – are his inspirations for Chaumet’s next chapter.
Here, Charles shares how he plans to take Chaumet to new heights, the significance of his appointment — and why his role as an Olympic torchbearer is such an honour.
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Charles, how have your first few months been at the helm of Chaumet?
Very busy, very exciting and strangely familiar. I’m so glad that, during the past five years, a lot of things have progressed really well at Chaumet. This makes it the perfect time for me to start to turn the page for the brand – so it’s very exciting.
What appeals to you about working with such a legacy brand?
It’s a huge honour and a huge responsibility. I still remember the last time I worked for Chaumet in Paris; arriving there and passing through the staircase and, as a Hong Kong native, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the situation. There’s a lot of pride inside as well. But at the same time, I always ask myself: am I up to the challenge? Because it is easy to judge or challenge a person not of French origin. There are questions like: ‘What do you know about a heritage brand such as this one? Can you understand it well enough to guide the brand to the next chapter?’ I have to always make sure that I’m on top of the job, to show that you can be a non-French person and still do a very good job for a French company.
Chaumet famously has links to Empress Josephine. Can we expect to see these references continue into the future?
I think it is difficult to erase this glorious part of Chaumet because it’s how everything started — for our style, our positioning and our relevance in French history. It is important to remember that Empress Josephine was a very modern, contemporary fashion icon. She was unexpected, and whatever she did was widely copied everywhere in Europe. I don’t think it is wise to redo 18th-century jewellery for a 21st-century customer, but the same spirit of joy has to be there – meaning that we need to be royal but, at the same time, be fun, relevant, trendsetting and lead the way. That is how you retain the essence of Josephine.
You have mentioned that you like to tell a story with jewellery. Could you elaborate on this?
A piece of jewellery for anyone is a part of their life story. Be it a ring or a necklace — you will know the situation, location and the person who gave it to you. Jewellery from Chaumet is highly symbolic and meaningful in design. And it can tell a lot about the link between two people. Our jewellery is really about crowning the person you love most with the deepest sentiment. And when we tell a story with our collections, we become part of the customer’s story as well.
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Chaumet created medals for the Paris Olympic Games. Could you tell us more?
I can’t really talk too much about the medals – except that we are very proud to have designed them. What I can tell you is that I ran with the torch for the Olympic Games to pass the baton. I was extremely excited and my family is overjoyed. I told the chairman of the preparation committee that it means a lot to my Asian-origin colleagues around the world that they see an Asian face — an Asian CEO — running with the torch and passing the baton.
When you joined Fred, you made history as the first Asian CEO of an LVMH brand. Was that a significant moment for you?
Definitely. Nobody would have thought that it could happen to an Asian person. This was not something I had planned 20, 15 or even five years ago. When I found out about this opportunity, I decided to apply and see what happens. But it is also a lot of pressure. It was tricky in the beginning, and then Covid-19 happened, but we came out okay. We’re one of the fastest growing jewellery brands in the world, so it all worked out.
As a consumer, it seems that one of the biggest questions fine jewellery houses is tackling is ethical sourcing. How do you approach this?
I think that we have the responsibility to make sure that wherever we get our stones from, they have to be sourced in the most ethically possible way. Because we have only one planet and our customers want to know that they’re not hurting the world. This is so important.