That sage in bloom that's like perfume, deep in the heart of Texas, might actually be Louis Vuitton cologne wafting into the air at their new leather goods workshop. On Thursday, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault welcomed Donald Trump in rural Alvarado, Texas for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“This shows two commitments: One, the commitment of LVMH to the American market, and two, the commitment of President Trump to the American worker,” WWD notes Arnault said. “I have always been close to the U.S. since the beginning of the Eighties when I lived here. You remember that France, a beautiful country, was becoming a little bit socialist at the time, and so I tried to find a country where business was welcome. So I lived here in New York, and that’s where I learned to do business in the American way, the efficient way,” Arnault continued.
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Arnault also praised Trump in an interview with the fashion trade paper, saying: “We are very honored to have the president of the United States. I’m not here to judge any types of policies,” said Arnault. “I’m here to work with my brand and we are going to, over five years, have 1,000 people working here and that’s what matters.”
LVMH bought the land in 2017 and now the 100,000-square-foot factory sits on 265 acres. The land is named Rochambeau Ranch after the French general who helped the 13 colonies win independence during the Revolutionary War. The factory will employ 150 people. This is the third American factory for the brand, the other two are located in California.
“This is domestic manufacturing for domestic consumption…And I have yet to meet a single client who doesn’t want Made in the U.S.A. You can have in the store at the same time two identical bags, one made in France, one made in the U.S.,” Louis Vuitton chairman and chief executive officer Michael Burke told WWD.