It all started in the middle of the twentieth century. At that time, intellectuals were shocked to see one of the heirs of the Picasso family sell the signature of their august parent to a car manufacturer who decided to use it on one of their compact minivans. The Citroën Picasso was born, the fruit of the first deal between the consumer market and the art world. History would soon repeat itself. It is now (almost) commonplace to see an artist’s work on a pair of sneakers, a watch or even a perfume bottle. The latest example is offered by the architect Frank Gehry, who recently revitalized Louis Vuitton’s fragrances. For brands, art is like a stroke of a magic wand! The marketing version of Cinderella: the maid turned into a princess.

We understand the interest of this operation for consumer brands, which find in it the opportunity to acquire a cultural depth. This can only contribute to their prestige and surprise their customers, increasingly eager for original stories to tell. Today, this logic has been given a new twist with the sudden interest shown by cultural institutions (and not just any…) in young companies, in the category of Hope for the Future.

The press recently reported that the Château de Versailles has just launched a pair of sneakers made out of fabric from the Hyacinthe Rigaud exhibition held in the Château last May. An exclusive model in blue fabric, embellished with outstanding gold, imagined in collaboration with the young French label Le Lissier—specialized in textile recycling. Let’s also mention the renowned Comédie Française, which is now offering two soaps in theirboutique (until now more oriented towards candles, notebooks and clothing), whose colors and design refer to the Harlequin’s costume, created in partnership with the young Parisian soap factory Ciment.

The world of yesterday and the world of tomorrow definitely have a lot to say and do together. Let’s imagine that each heritage representative reaches out to a start-up to give life to a common project. Wouldn’t everybody come out a winner?