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AWJ: It’s been three years since you became “Co-Guardians” of Mouawad Jewellery Company. What did you achieve along with your brothers so far?
PM: Mouawad already has a worldwide reputation as a prestigious brand and each of the four generations of the company have had distinctive traits that added value to the business in their own individual way. So to come to the helm at this stage in the company’s history as the new Co-Guardians is something all three of us have been preparing for all our lives. What we each bring to the table are our individual talents to ensure the legacy while contributing to the further development of the company and as so, we’ve already reached new and important milestones in Mouawad’s legacy such as rebranding the image of the company, launching our new Genève watch line, launching many new boutiques in the GCC region, and creating several new masterpieces—one of which led to our fourth Guinness World Record-the L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace.
AWJ: How would the Mouawad Brothers Fred, yourself and Alain complete each other and how are the group’s tasks distributed among the three of you?
PM: We have managed to divide our responsibilities between the three of us and still take the collective responsibility for the performance of the entire organization. Alain, is a seasoned horologist and marketing expert so as Co-Guardian of the watch division he brings a lot of expertise to that role; I head the retail division by focusing on continually enchanting our customers and building relationships; and Fred, being very passionate about diamonds and gemology leads our diamond and colored stone division—which includes our Premier Diamond Alliance (a DTC Sightholder), which offers a guaranteed conflict-free route and supply of certified, untreated, finely-cut and polished diamonds to the wholesale market.
AWJ: Do you think Mr. Robert Mouawad is satisfied to what has been fulfilled since three years now?
PM: He is. With the fourth generation, our goal is to institutionalize the company and grow it internationally while keeping the core principles of a family run business. Our brand legacy and our different strengths and know-how give us a real competitive edge in today’s market. The vision of Alain, Fred and I is that the Mouawad brand continues its tradition of creating the finest haute joaillerie, award-winning masterpieces and luxury timepieces and to maintain that excellence for centuries to come.
AWJ: How do you evaluate Mouawad’s current presence the Middle Eastern Market?
PM: The Middle-East region is our key market at the moment; all countries in this part of the world are hugely important to us. In the last year, we have opened five new boutiques in Kuwait, Doha, Lebanon and Muscat. We now have boutiques across the Middle East, in Singapore and Malaysia. This number will further increase by the end of the year as we open in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
AWJ: Mouawad has diversified its product lines, to launch a variety of new trendy jewellery collections in parallel with its famous exclusive high end jewellery. How did this policy allure the presence of Mouawad Jewellery in the market?
PM: Actually Mouawad has for many years offered a wide variety of collections from very high jewelry and masterpieces to boutique and bridal collections. In the jewellery and watch industry, luxury lies in creating a work of art that brings to life the highest standard of craftsmanship and the use of materials of the best quality. Providing true luxury to our customers is central to our philosophy and we use high quality diamonds and colored gemstones in all our jewellery whether masterpiece sets, bridal or our fashionable boutique collections—it’s all Mouawad and our customers know that each Piece is a marvel of craftsmanship.
AWJ: A few months ago, Mouawad launched two new collections of Swiss watches, “La Griffe” and “Grand Ellipse”. How were these two collections received in the International market and the Middle Eastern market?
PM: After the official unveiling of the Mouawad Watch Collection with a dedicated media event that took place in Dubai last March, we have been busy promoting the new collection across the Region. We have in fact organized launch events in our boutiques in Kuwait City, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat and Beirut to introduce the Grande Ellipse and La Griffe collections to our local customers. All of these launch events have been extremely successful and the feedback received from our customers has been very positive. They appreciate the variety of designs available while recognizing the quality of the materials and putting their trust in the horological expertise we have built as a family over generations.
AWJ: What’s so special about the new Mouawad watches when compared to other Swiss brands?
PM: The new Mouawad watch line introduces prestige watches steeped in the fine art and traditions of Swiss watchmaking and the mastery of our Mouawad Genève division and have been designed to be the choice of the world’s most discerning luxury timepiece customers. We have received a very strong response to our watches so far, and anticipate it will represent at least a third of our business in the future.
AWJ: You have recently moved your HQ to Dubai from where you manage the M.E retail region; please explain your retail expansion strategy for the region and what has been achieved so far?
PM: Well, not too recently, our corporate offices have been in Dubai for over 3 years now. We are firmly focused on the expansion in the Gulf region. We have made a commitment to get closer to our local clientele which is why we continue to open new Mouawad boutiques throughout the region.
AWJ: Mouawad has been collaborating with several Arab celebrities with the view of promoting the brand. What impact have they made on the brand’s profile and sales in the region?
PM: The Middle East is our strongest market and collaborating with the many popular stars in the region has been a great opportunity. Naming Najwa Karam as the face of the La Griffe watch collection has sparked a trend and we’ve noticed many women in the region coming into our boutiques and asking for the watch that Najwa wears. Plus several popular regional stars like Ahlam and Carole Samaha have been wearing our jewelry on popular TV shows such as Arabs’ Got Talent, X-Factor and Arab Idol, which has been very positive for the brand and gained a lot of exposure for our products.
AWJ: Why did you choose Lebanese Diva Najwa Karam to be the Mouawad La Griffe Ambassador? What are the qualities and characteristics that you share with her?
PM: Najwa, as you know, is a multi-platinum selling artist and popular judge on Arabs’ Got Talent and has a very strong and popular presence in the Middle East. This combined with the fact that she’s been a long-time admirer of our brand, made the decision an easy one for her and for us. Once she saw the new La Griffe collection she simply fell in love with it and was very excited to become the official ambassador of the collection. Najwa’s grace, beauty and passion are a perfect match for the alluring beauty of the La Griffe collection.
AWJ: What is the current role of Najwa Karam as a brand Ambassador?
PM: Najwa Karam as the face of Mouawad’s La Griffe has already appeared at the La Griffe launch of the collection and will appear in a new print advertising campaign. She will also be seen wearing items from the La Griffe collection at a series of high profile events and appearances throughout the year.
AWJ: Could you please describe the Mouawad customer profile in the Middle East?
PM: We have a wide range of customers in the region, from the royalty who’ve been loyal to the brand for over half a century to regional celebrities who’ve embraced our brand and products and due to our expansion and introducing boutique and our watch collections with more variety and accessible price points, we are gaining a new customer base of stylish men and women looking for quality products with unique and luxurious designs.