Priscilla Jokhoo: Le Rendez Vous Arrives in Paris

LE RENDEZ-VOUS is a new project dedicated to French jewelry, taking place in Paris during Première Classe. What inspired you to create it, and what gap in the market did you feel it could fill?

Every season, Paris Fashion Week becomes a major international gathering point for creativity, fashion and design. Jewelry is very much part of that ecosystem, but its presence remains relatively fragmented. Established maisons organize exhibitions and presentations, while emerging designers and independent jewelry brands often participate through smaller, scattered initiatives, without a collective platform that brings this creative energy together.

LE RENDEZ-VOUS was born from the desire to create that missing platform. The ambition is not simply to create another trade show, but to bring together the different dimensions of French jewelry — brands, craftsmanship, creativity, image, culture and ideas — within a single, coherent experience.

For me, the timing and the location are essential. Paris already has an extraordinary international influence during Fashion Week. We wanted to build on that momentum and create a place where the richness and diversity of French jewelry could be seen, understood and experienced as part of the wider creative industries.

What exactly can visitors and buyers expect from LE RENDEZ-VOUS? Who is the project designed for, and what kind of brands and jewelry makers are you looking to bring together?

LE RENDEZ-VOUS is conceived as a journey rather than a conventional trade fair. Visitors will discover five complementary spaces, each offering a different perspective on jewelry and fine jewelry: the Central Stage, the Jewelry Monograph, the Conversations, the Photography Exhibition and the Bookstore.

At the heart of the event, the Central Stage brings together 24 French fine and fashion jewelry brands, selected for their creativity, distinctive aesthetic identities and ability to embody the vitality of contemporary French design.

But the idea is also to go beyond the presentation of collections. Through exhibitions, talks, photography and cultural content, we want visitors to understand the broader creative ecosystem behind jewelry today.

The event is primarily aimed at industry professionals, buyers, international visitors and the wider creative community. We want them to encounter both established names and more emerging voices, and to discover the breadth of what French jewelry has to offer today.

French jewelry has a very strong international reputation, traditionally associated with haute joaillerie and historic maisons. But there is also a vibrant and increasingly interesting demi-fine and contemporary jewelry scene. How would you describe this landscape today, and what makes it distinctive?

What is particularly exciting today is the coexistence of several generations and approaches. France has an extraordinary heritage in fine jewelry and craftsmanship, but that heritage is not static. Alongside the historic maisons, a new generation of designers and independent brands is bringing different aesthetics, business models and ways of thinking about jewelry.

This new scene is diverse. Some designers are deeply rooted in craftsmanship and traditional savoir-faire, while others approach jewelry almost as contemporary design, fashion or art. What they share is a strong creative identity and a desire to express something personal.

This is precisely what we want to make visible with LE RENDEZ-VOUS: French jewelry is not one single story. It is a living ecosystem, where craftsmanship, innovation and entrepreneurship meet. The sector is in motion, and I think that movement is one of its greatest strengths.

How important is this connection between jewelry and fashion for LE RENDEZ-VOUS? And do you think the current generation of consumers is changing the way jewelry is worn, discovered and purchased?

The connection with fashion is fundamental. Jewelry has always had a close relationship with fashion, but today that relationship is becoming even more fluid. Jewelry is increasingly considered as part of an overall creative and personal expression, rather than simply as an accessory or a marker of occasion.

The new generation is also discovering jewelry differently. Social media, digital storytelling, independent retailers and fashion platforms have made it possible for younger brands to reach international audiences much earlier. Consumers are looking for a point of view, a story and an identity, as much as for a beautiful object.

That is why being present during Fashion Week makes so much sense. It places jewelry within the broader creative conversation happening in Paris and allows these brands to meet an audience that is already highly sensitive to design, image, culture and new creative propositions.

Looking ahead, what would success look like for LE RENDEZ-VOUS? What do you hope the project will contribute to the French jewelry ecosystem — and what would you like international buyers and visitors to take away from their experience in Paris?

For me, success would mean establishing LE RENDEZ-VOUS as a lasting platform for the French jewelry ecosystem — a moment that the industry and international buyers look forward to every season.

The objective is to give greater collective visibility to a sector that is exceptionally creative but can still appear fragmented from the outside. We want to facilitate connections, create opportunities for brands, encourage international development and, ultimately, strengthen the position of French jewelry on the global creative map.

But I would also like visitors to leave with a feeling: the feeling that they have discovered something. That French jewelry is not only about heritage and excellence — although those are fundamental — but also about creativity, audacity, entrepreneurship and new perspectives.

If LE RENDEZ-VOUS can help change the way international audiences perceive and discover French jewelry, then we will have achieved something important.

If you had to describe the new generation of French jewelry in three words, what would they be, and why?

Creative. Audacious. Independent.

Creative, because there is an incredible diversity of voices and approaches emerging today.

Audacious, because these designers are not afraid to challenge established codes — whether through materials, forms, storytelling or the way they build their brands.

And independent, because many of them are developing their own language and their own vision, while finding new ways to connect with audiences and build sustainable businesses.

Together, these three words capture what I find most exciting about the new generation: it is deeply connected to French savoir-faire, but it is also looking firmly towards the future.

Le Rendez Vous will take place at the jardin des Tuileries.

For more info:https://rendez-vous.franceclat.fr/