DUCASSE and CHANEL : a marriage made in ... Japan

Ginza Street, Tokyo, December 4th, 2004. An outstanding restaurant named ‘Beige’ is being opened on the top two floors of a brand new building. It is a joint venture between Alain Ducasse and Chanel. Both companies are known for their luxurious products, their French savoir-vivre, and their creative talents. Both have a very distinctive in-house culture and high standards. Alain Ducasse’s project manager, Stéphane Bellon, tells the story of the meeting between the two partners, their hopes for this restaurant, and the way in which this project took shape. Conflicts did occur, notably between the vision of a luxurious and aesthetic product and the necessary operating constraints of the restaurant business. Quite apart from this project, Stéphane Bellon tells how the Alain Ducasse Group established the ‘know-how’ for restaurant design and the organisation for culinary creation.