Editor’s Note
This exclusive feature explores the strategic value of hiring apprentices from the Paris School of Luxury. As Pierre Kalaijian asserts, such a move is an investment in the future, bringing a unique blend of heritage and innovation directly into the heart of a luxury House.
Pierre Kalaijian, Paris School of Luxury
Journal du Luxe: Where does the unique DNA of Paris School of Luxury come from?
Pierre Kalaijian: Paris School of Luxury was born from a simple conviction: luxury is not learned from books, it is lived. We wanted to create a school that is simultaneously a place of learning, experimentation, and creation. A school of reality, connected to society and its transformations.
Since its founding, we have observed that young luxury talents no longer simply want to “join” a house, but to reinvent it. PSL is this meeting point between academic rigor and the creative energy of a generation that wants to shift the lines in a luxury industry undergoing profound transformation.
Journal du Luxe: You often speak of the “School-Agency” concept. How does this translate concretely?
Pierre Kalaijian: It’s an unprecedented pedagogical model that we are proud of, conceived as a Win-Win with the luxury industry. We have transformed the school into a creative and strategic thinking agency – 100% Gen Z – serving the luxury sector.
Through Creative Weeks, our students work directly for brands, houses, and agencies. For one week, they become a creative task force: they analyze, conceptualize, produce, and deliver concrete ideas to real clients. This format has already given rise to significant collaborations.
For example, last Thursday, the house Gemmyo entrusted our students with the design of its new campaign, unveiled life-size at 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain and rolled out Online and Offline. This was not an academic exercise but an operational creation, conducted in dialogue with Pauline Laigneau and her teams, during which our students rethought the brand’s visual narrative.
Another example: the Sprints with Epsilon, where our talents explored new territories of customer engagement in the era of generative AI. In a few days, they produced concepts that the agency then integrated into its internal reflections.
These experiences embody our philosophy: PSL does not train observers, but actors. Our talents do not learn about luxury – they already contribute to it, with their perspective, spontaneity, boldness, and our methods.
Journal du Luxe: The current economic context sometimes makes recruitment complex. Why bet on these young apprenticeship talents?
Pierre Kalaijian: Because they are ready. Ready to learn, to commit, to create value.
In an era where luxury seeks meaning and fresh energy, apprenticeship is a formidable lever. State aid still allows for the recruitment of qualified profiles, trained to the highest level – our students aim for an RNCP Level 7 diploma (Manager of Luxury, Fashion, and Beauty Strategies) while building a pool of future collaborators.
Our talents are passionate, curious, rigorous. They possess this rare dual competence: immense fashion-luxury culture, an understanding of new societal challenges, and above all, mastery of contemporary world tools.