The French jewellery brand's honcho brings us on a radiant journey to visit its past, present and future.

The French Riviera just makes everything perfectly and naturally beautiful &mdash; as the founder of Maison FRED, Fred Samuel discovered. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his destiny as an unparalleled jeweller and his connection to the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Azur were aligned in the stars with the Maison he founded in 1936. His unique odyssey, extraordinary personality, and forte in bejewelled creations overflowing with light and joie de vivre, have shaped the philosophy of the Maison, also known as the &ldquo;Sunlight Jeweller&rdquo;.
Invited on a familiarisation trip that whisked us away to its Paris flagship and chic boutiques in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Cannes, along with an immersive art, culture and lifestyle tour of the French Riviera, we were honoured to experience the origins and inspirations of the Maison, witnessing first- hand why FRED is a name that embodies the life, beauty and spirit of the French Riviera. Soon we will be getting up close with its scintillating jewellery in an upcoming Kuala Lumpur retail space, but for now, let&rsquo;s hear more from CEO Charles Leung for his take on what makes Maison FRED the unique jewellery brand it is.

As the first Asian CEO to be appointed at LVMH, what does this augur for the brand and also for the industry?
It&rsquo;s a breakthrough, but sooner or later, it will happen. I just happened to be the first one and I hope I won&rsquo;t be the last one. I must do a good job to make sure that more Asian brothers and sisters will get the top jobs in the business as well.
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Can you share some of the &ldquo; firsts for the brand&rdquo; that you have put in place as CEO?
The importance of talking about Mr Fred, and we also did the FRED, Joaillier Cr&eacute;ateur depuis 1936 exhibition about the House for the first time. Pushing e-commerce with the revamp of the e-commerce site; sponsoring the Special Olympics; opening Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Australia and Singapore; besides launching new products and the relaunch of High Jewellery, the Monsieur Fred Inner Light collection.
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How long ago has it been since the Maison&rsquo;s last HJ collection?
Ten years and my ambition is to revive the High Jewellery house we once were. While preparing for the exhibition, we built a Heritage Department to work on the archive. My idea of showing the spirit of Mr Fred is to embark on higher things, to go further, hence, came the idea of launching the High Jewellery collection after so many years. One thing leads to another and it cannot stop. This first HJ collection was a tribute to Mr Fred and I had specifically asked the team for a genderless set, dedicated to both female and male customers. They came up with the Force 10 Winning Spirit necklace, with an aquamarine sculpture as the buckle, which could be worn by a man as well.

What do you think sets FRED apart and what is its DNA?
The distinctive DNA of FRED is that we have a very charismatic founder, Fred Samuel &mdash; it&rsquo;s all about him, his vision, his idea and his spirit. We have this spirit of the French Riviera that&rsquo;s about luxury but effortless. It&rsquo;s about being chic but without feeling trapped, having a comfortable, high-quality and relaxed lifestyle with a joyful time. The third one, which is very different, is technical audacity in terms of a technical product that hasn&rsquo;t just emerged directly from a machine. For example, a lot of articulation and engineering is involved with the manual twisting of the cable for the Force 10 collection, and we make full titanium jewellery too. We do not shy away from technical breakthroughs. In the end, FRED&rsquo;s style is always in the now because we think all the biggest moments in life now are to be celebrated, so all this makes up our unique DNA.
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Where does FRED stand in sustainability, an issue that concerns the new generation?
We are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and work under the Kimberley Process, working with suppliers that comply with the highest European standards of sourcing. All FRED jewellery is made in France or Italy so it is all being monitored and governed. And in our store, we mainly use low-consumption electricity and we are among the most efficient energy users.
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Why is jewellery resonating with the Millennials and Gen Zers?
Jewellery has become more symbolic for everyone to express his or her individuality. And some jewellery stands for certain values, not only the style, like FRED ones. Young people also want to express their ideas and beliefs through the way they dress and accessorise so more is being expressed through jewellery. Wearing a Force 10 sends the message that you&rsquo;re a sporty, active person who embraces the value of sports and you&rsquo;re a bit cool. Jewellery, fine jewellery especially, is also something that lasts and is durable, and to be cherished, adding to the heritage and craftsmanship. I think people now want to buy less but better, and jewellery provides that.

In conversation with Maison FRED's CEO Charles Leung

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