For Thierry de Baschmakoff and the Aesthete team, historically a creative agency dedicated to the design of luxury products, it actually represents two new starts.

First start, the creation of Aesthete Lab, a creative agency dedicated to brands looking for a privileged partnership.

Second start, the creation with Laurent Caucé, CEO and founder of the group Open D, of a new agency, MAD (Massive Artistic Direction), who will accompany clients in their product development to the point of sale, and who will work both on selective projects and in the mass distribution sector.

Thus, each partner hopes to benefit from the other partner’s networks, Laurent Caucé from the excellent implantation of Aesthete in luxury markets, and Thierry de Baschmakoff from the international network of Open D and its presence in the Health & Beauty sector.

Laurent Caucé (Open D) & Thierry de Baschmakoff (Aesthete)

Premium Beauty News - Like many beautiful stories, your new adventure began with a meeting!

Thierry de Baschmakoff – Truly a meeting that occurred at the right moment. Aesthete could no longer just remain on the segment of luxury products design where, precisely, Laurent Caucé needed to extend the influence of his agency. May I remind you that regarding this historical business core of Aesthete, we are still one of the few agencies mastering techniques as varied as glass, leather, watch-making, new materials, which allows us to manage projects globally , from the drawing board to the finished product with a methodology ranging from brand analysis, volume design, graphic design, prototypes and technical service.

Laurent Caucé - This is obviously what attracted my partners and myself. So we were able to very quickly elaborate with Thierry the outlines of what could become a business partnership.

A few words on Open D... We operate since 2002. At the time, the idea was quite simple: create an agency specialized in Design Merchandising and Retail in the cosmetics and perfumery segment. In fact, develop ourselves where other design agencies did not venture since they did not go beyond the stage of "product" designing. As for manufacturers specialized in POS or store layouts, they had, to say the least, an overly industrial idea of the subject, not creative enough.

And I must say that facts have proved us right. Three years later, in 2005, we opened our first branch in Dubai. In 2006, Barcelona. In 2007, Singapore and, in 2008, New York. Next step ... in 2010, with Shanghai.

In 2008, we created a packaging department, Open pack, which proved itself useful in 2 years time and recently merged with Aesthete to create MAD.

Today, Open D is worth some 10 million Euros in turnover with a workforce of 70 people. Our clients are L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Coty, Diageo, Inter Parfums, Richemont, LVMH… The company relies on three key activities: the ephemeral furniture (30% of turnover), permanent furniture (50% of turnover) and commercial architecture (20% of turnover).

Premium Beauty News - And crisis ? Don’t you fell its impact?

Laurent Caucé - Yes, of course. But by intuition and chance we diversified ourselves into other segments than cosmetics and perfumery, like spirits and alcohols and now, tobacco. Spirits and alcohols now account for 35% of our turnover. They only represented 2% of our turnover just two years ago!

Premium Beauty News - This partnership between you, Thierry de Baschmakoff and Laurent Caucé, takes the form of two separate entities: Aesthete Lab and MAD.

Laurent Caucé - Thierry de Baschmakoff remains at the head of Aesthete Lab and will act as an Artistic Director for MAD. For my part, I will bring my contribution as a strategic advisor for Aesthete Lab.

Premium Beauty News - And for MAD, what is precisely its purpose?

Laurent Caucé - Being an entity of the Open D group, MAD can rely on an international network to address regionalization issues (Europe, Asia, Middle East, United States).

The agency will help clients to define their marketing strategy and product development to the point of sale. It can work as much on high end projects as it can in the mass distribution sector.

Premium Beauty News - And Aesthete Lab ?

Thierry de Baschmakoff - Aesthete Lab is a creative agency dedicated to brands looking for a privileged creative partnership. It works in a process of artistic direction that can go from a mission for product designing to interior design or communication.