Akademik

   This French fashion luxury goods conglomerate was formed in 1987 between the Louis Vuitton SA holding company, Moët-Hennessey (the world's largest producer of cognac and champagne), and the Christian Dior Group. Henry Recamier, a former steel executive who married into the Vuitton family, was named to run the Louis Vuitton business in 1977. In an attempt to fund increased expansion, Vuitton initiated a merger with Moët-Hennessey. A partnership formed in 1971 between the Mercier and Hennessey families. However, by 1989, Bernard Arnault, the financial genius, chairman, and CEO of the Christian Dior empire, in a hostile takeover, took 51 percent majority control of LVMH. In 2001, De Beers, the diamond company, launched a joint venture with LVMH. Today, there are more than fifty subsidiaries of LVMH including wines and spirits (most notable: Moët et Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Hennessey, and Veuve Clicquot), watches and jewelry (TAG Heuer, Dior Watches, Chaumet, Zenith, OMAS, and FRED), fashion and leather goods (Berluti, Celine, Christian Lacroix, Donna Karan, eLUXURY, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Stefano Bi, and Thomas Pink), retail establishments (DFS, La Samaritaine, Bon Marché, Sephora, and Starboard Cruise services), and perfumes (Acqua di Parma, Guerlain, Parfums Kenzo, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Loewe).