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Louise Calonne (SKEMA 2018): the sparkle of luxury and a taste for faraway places
One of the faces of SKEMA’s "Success on Your Own Terms" campaign, Louise Calonne (SKEMA 2018) embodies a success story shaped by audacity, the pursuit of excellence, and international living. Now High Jewellery Development Project Manager at Van Cleef & Arpels, she has developed her expertise in luxury goods by working for the major houses and continues to pursue ever greater ambitions. She is driven to explore new horizons.
An international career guided by ambition
Louise learnt to adapt very early in life: having moved ten times, her childhood was marked by the constant discovery of new environments, and her open-mindedness would become a hallmark, profoundly influencing her career path. After attending school between Besançon and Lille, she followed an almost natural path to SKEMA, a business school that echoes her family history: it is where her parents met.
Her academic journey soon took her abroad again, with a one-year exchange between McGill in Canada and Suzhou in China. These two transformative experiences revealed her love of Asia and luxury, a sector where high standards and expertise go hand in hand. "Understanding the Chinese luxury market was the obvious next step," she explains, convinced that this learning laid the foundation for her career in this industry.
From fashion to high jewellery: rigour sets the tone
After a first role as a sales trainee, which opened the doors to the industry, Louise moved from one luxury fashion house to another: Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Dior... Each of these experiences helped to hone her expertise and forge her high standards. High jewellery became a natural progression, a desire. In her quest for excellence, Louise finds in this exacting world the precision and exceptional craftsmanship that shape great career paths.
The chance to combine her passions
Louise also defines herself through her passions. Firstly, photography, which gave her the opportunity to follow a rock band on tour. Then there is running, which is key to her balance. Half-marathons break up her daily routine, and with them the mark of perseverance in Louise's life becomes a little clearer every day.
As someone who cares about the environment, Louise is a member of Time for the Planet and works to raise awareness of climate issues around her. In her work, she is committed to preserving the know-how and exceptional craftsmanship of the endangered arts and crafts which she sees as the very soul of luxury.
