On the occasion of the V Fortuny Day, the Executive Vice-President of Hermès, Mr. Guillaume De Seynes, visits Spain to share his experience in the evolution from an artisanal firm to an iconic brand of excellence.
- “For the first time, the European Union recognises the Cultural and Creative Industries as a key sector in the social and economic development of Europe,” says member of the European Parliament and Co-chair of the Creative and Cultural Industries Intergroup, Hon. Mr. Christian Ehler.
- The European Union will allocate more than EUR 700 million to support programs for SMEs and to combat counterfeiting.
- The “Asian miracle”: it is the aspiration of young, Chinese women, alien to European culture, to buy products on the continent.
Círculo Fortuny dedicated the celebration of V Fortuny Day to highlighting the importance of craftsmanship and its evolution into iconic brands of excellence.
At the invitation of the association, the Executive Vice-President of Hermès, President of ECCIA and Chairman of the Comité Colbert, Mr. Guillaume De Seynes, attended the event to explain the trajectory and values of Hermès, a maison that—through tradition and innovation—is infused with extraordinary artisanal value.
The greatest exponent of French luxury, founded in 1837, still belongs to the same family, which, today, controls two-thirds of the shares traded. The company, whose net profit aims to exceed EUR 1 billion in 2016, employs 12,244 professionals, of whom 3,000 are craftsmen.
The Director of Institutional Relations and Communication for Santander Spain and event collaborator, Mr. José Juan Pérez-Tabernero, stressed the key to success in every project: “Quality over volume, excellence in execution, and the ability to create new products while respecting tradition.”
For the first time, the European Union are studying the cultural and creative industries to grant them the recognition and visibility they deserve, with support from Círculo Fortuny, the only Spanish association recognised internationally as the representative of high-end Spanish companies, and in conjunction with other associations: Comité Colbert (France), Fondazione Altagamma (Italy), Meisterkreis (Germany) and Walpole (United Kingdom).
Its economic size alone is considerable: it represents 4% of European GDP and 17% of the continent’s exports.
Member of the European Parliament and Co-chair of the Creative and Cultural Industries Intergroup, H.E. Mr. Christian Ehler, who participated as a speaker at the conference, remarked, “Digitisation is changing many sectors. It will be the job of the cultural and creative industries to provide the added value of this world. They will be key to the reindustrialisation of Europe, its social and economic development.”
V Fortuny Day Statements
Mr. Enrique Loewe, Honorary Chairman of Círculo Fortuny and Honorary Chairman of the Fundación Loewe: “Without artisanry there is no fashion or creativity.” Mr. Carlos Falcó, Marqués de Griñón, Executive Chairman of Círculo Fortuny: “Círculo Fortuny considers that both the Hermès model, based on product excellence resulting from creative effort and a rich cultural background, and the European institutions’ steadfast commitment to the cultural and creative industries in the design of its economic policy, should serve as references for Spanish and European start-ups when designing their business models and strategies.
These companies will strengthen the sector of Spanish excellence and benefit from the economic potential that shopping tourism offers to EU countries.”
Mr. José Juan Pérez-Tabernero, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Santander Spain: “Banco Santander’s mission is to aid in the advancement of people and companies. We are undergoing a transformation process in an effort to become the best commercial bank, earning the trust of employees, clients, shareholders, and society. We want to be a simple, personal, and fair bank. Under this new banking model, we want to be very close to companies as they face a successful future.”
Mr. Guillaume de Seynes, Executive Vice President Hermès, Chairman of ECCIA and Chairman of Comité Colbert: “Comité Colbert and Circulo Fortuny share the same ambition in terms of creativity and excellence”
H.E. Mr. Ehler, Member of the European Parliament, Co-chair of the Creative & Cultural Industries Intergroup: “I believe that the high-end industry is a key pillar of the cultural and creative sector and should take a leading role in making a comprehensive industry strategy for the cultural and creative industries in Europe a reality.”
Mr. Clemens Pflanz, Chairman of Meisterkreis concluded by issuing an invitation to the attendees: “It is an honour to be able to announce the celebration of the I European Excellence Summit, which will take place in Berlin next June, where the European values of quality, craftsmanship, innovation, and excellence will be further reinforced.”
