Kering is doing luxury cruises now The first ship will set sail on Septmeber 2025

One of the mantras of fashion insiders and luxury-market analysts this year has been: «The new luxury is experiences». And while the most unexpected brands are investing in luxury condominiums across the various kingdoms and emirates of the Arabian Peninsula, and the biggest names in fashion are opening bars and restaurants, Kering has come up with an even more advanced strategy: luxury cruises.

It was announced today that Kering will partner with the luxury cruise company Ponant (which the Pinault family owns through their mega-holding Artemis) for a themed voyage called Made in Italy, the Luxury Edition. During the trip, surrounded by the usual thousand comforts, participants will be able to come into contact with the artisans and archives of Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Ginori 1735, Brioni and Pomellato while sailing the Mediterranean on a series of luxurious and exclusive stops.

What will the Kering-signed cruise be like?

The cruise will last 11 days, from 8 to 18 September 2027, and will take place aboard the Le Boréal, one of the most elegant vessels in the Ponant fleet – a 142-metre, six-deck yacht that accommodates a maximum of 264 guests and already features two restaurants (Le Licorne and La Boussole), three bars, a spa, a pool and a cinema. The idea is to create a more intimate journey, avoiding the overcrowding (and the cheap feel) of classic tourist cruises. Indeed, with tickets starting at €11,930 per person, this cruise will be anything but cheap.

The ship will sail from the port of Livorno and arrive in Venice, calling at several cities including Florence, Elba Island, Sorrento and Taormina. Along the way there will be stops featuring cultural visits and brand-related experiences, as well as on-board activities, events and workshops entirely focused on Kering-signed luxury. These activities are designed to engage participants beyond mere display and, it is hoped, also encourage them to purchase the various exclusive products that will undoubtedly be on sale at a price befitting the level of the experience.

The two most fashion-forward stops will be Florence and Venice. In the former, there will be a visit to Gucci’s historic archives, normally closed to the public; while in the latter, dedicated of course to Bottega Veneta, guests will tour the workshops where artisans will demonstrate the art of intrecciato weaving and the way they work on bags and accessories. A similar experience will be offered for Brioni, with hands-on demonstrations of bespoke tailoring from fabric selection to construction.

There will also be workshops on gems and Pomellato jewellery and visits to the ceramic workshops of Ginori 1735, where guests can create their own pieces alongside the artisans. In addition to these brand-centric experiences, there will be guided tours and meetings with industry experts exploring topics such as sustainability, craftsmanship innovation and the role of culture in fashion.

Saving fashion by investing outside fashion

Since Luca de Meo arrived as group CEO, Kering has begun changing course quite rapidly. In addition to bringing in executives from the luxury automotive world, pruning the dead branches of the retail network and studying a dedicated division to invest in emerging brands, one major investment de Meo made was in the Chinese jewellery brand Borland: an extra-fashion move that could pay off by riding the wave of popularity and sales that home-grown luxury is enjoying in China, as well as the overall strength of the jewellery segment.

The Made in Italy luxury cruise – another internal investment for the group but still not solely focused on pure apparel retail – represents exactly the kind of internal synergies de Meo was talking about in the top-secret memo leaked last month by Reuters. In short, you have to invest outside fashion to save it, trying to create an ecosystem in which different businesses feed off one another in the most efficient symbiosis possible.

All these extra-fashion business activities are designed to bring customers physically closer to the various stores and boutiques and currently focus mainly on hotels, restaurants and luxury housing. More recently, a group like Puig invested in a new foundation dedicated to the Dries Van Noten brand that will deal with art and craftsmanship. But will this marketing-on-steroids be enough to lift the global sales of groups that, by their own admission, are overly dependent on the clothing business? For the future of Kering and its competitors, let’s hope so.

Takeaways

- Kering has announced a luxury cruise in partnership with Ponant, scheduled for 8–18 September 2027 aboard the yacht Le Boréal, with prices starting at €11,930 per person.

- The 11-day voyage will depart from Livorno and end in Venice, calling at Florence, Elba Island, Sorrento and Taormina, offering the 264 guests exclusive experiences with the archives and artisans of Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Pomellato and Ginori 1735.

- The initiative is part of the group’s new strategy, led by CEO Luca de Meo, to invest in experiences beyond fashion in order to create synergies and revitalise luxury beyond clothing retail alone.