VivaTech 2024: luxury and beauty unveil their innovations

Every year at VivaTech since 2017, LVMH, as a founding partner of the show, gives startups the chance to compete and prove their ability to support the group in its digital transition. A unique opportunity for them to create a partnership with the group's houses and be front of the stage at this international event. On May 23 at 10:00 a.m., the LVMH Innovation Awards has rewarded 6 startups among the 18 finalists in six categories: Aectual (sustainability & Greentech), FancyTech (immersive digital experiences), Glanceable (omnichannel & retail), Authena (operations excellence), Heralbony (employee experience diversity & inclusion) et Ircam Amplify (image & media). 

Startup BLNG won the special prize awarded for its work in Data, AI and generative AI, and FancyTech, winner of the immersive digital experiences category, was voted the overall winner of this 2024 edition. The winners will then join the LVMH acceleration program (la maison des startups LVMH) in Station F and benefit from 10 months' support, mentoring and access to the LVMH network of luxury industry experts. "Startups have always been of huge interest for us. The mentality is very close to our values: creativity, quality, enterprise spirit and to give sense of what we do," said Bernard Arnault at the VivaTech live awards ceremony.

In addition to this awards ceremony, the French luxury giant unveils the latest innovations from its houses on its must-see stand: the “LVMH Dream Garden”. This huge 600 m2 space in the heart of the show immerses visitors in the world of 13 of its houses and its ecosystem of start-ups. Among them, Hennessy presents Ampelos, an augmented reality training simulator for vine pruning, Tag Heuer relies on Apple Vision Pro to enhance the golf experience, Ruinart exhibits an installation to better understand nature and the consequences of global warming. Other brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Loro Piana and Guerlain are also unveiling their new technologies.

This year, the group is focusing on three major themes: brand desirability, the luxury customer experience and exemplarity in leadership. It is also taking the opportunity to highlight a series of creations realized as part of its partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games: medals designed by Chaumet, French Team outfits made by Berluti and torch and medal trunks created by Louis Vuitton.

Its Chairman and CEO, Bernard Arnault, is expected to attract crowds during his planned visit to the stand, while other talks and conferences will take place such as “LVMH x Alibaba Cloud” or “Data for Media”.

Meanwhile, L'Oréal unveils a series of innovations in the Beauty Tech segment, with the aim of driving more personalized, inclusive and sustainable beauty. Several cutting-edge diagnostic devices for skin and hair are presented, a hair dryer as a personal beauty assistant powered by generative AI (My Hair [iD] Hair Reader) and one with infrared light technology (AirLight Pro), as well as an applicator to stimulate skincare penetration.

This year, the group is placing particular emphasis on Skin Technology, a platform of bio-printed skin models that mimics the complexity of human skin as closely as possible, opening up new perspectives in cosmetics research. This scientific and technological innovation is capable of tanning, healing and even aging through models that amplify our knowledge of the skin.

At the same time, the French beauty giant launches its Beauty Content Lab: CREAITECH, an in-house laboratory equipped with advanced tools based on generative AI, designed to amplify in-house content creation for its 37 beauty brands and train its marketing teams in the latest creative technologies.

“We will also unveil with Meta our New Codes of Beauty program, which will support the next generation of 3D artists and Augmented Reality and AI experts, and enable them to explore new creative frontiers in the world of beauty,” said Asmita Dubey, General Manager Digital and Marketing, L'Oréal Groupe.

L'Oréal is then focusing on a final aspect, digital sustainability, by positioning itself as “spearheading the industry” in measuring the carbon emissions generated by its digital activities. Three partnerships in this area will be highlighted during the event: Impact+, Adgreen and Fruggr.

For VivaTech's organizers, Paris' status as the world capital of luxury is an asset in attracting investment in technology. “Luxury is always linked to innovation, because the goal is always to offer something that no one else can,” said François Bitouzet, CEO of PublicisLive and the VivaTech trade show. In addition to the giant companies LVMH and L'Oréal, present as partners at the show, nearly sixty startups in the “Luxury/Fashion/Beauty” category are also presenting the technologies that will shape tomorrow's industry.