The Comité Colbert, gathering 82 French luxury houses and 16 cultural institutions, and the Ensaama, a leading French art and design school, launch the competition Dream 2074! A utopia for French luxury with the Cumulus association.

The Comité Colbert is an association of 78 luxury brands and 14 cultural institutions to promote the concept of luxury and the French art de vivre. The group was founded in 1954 and named for Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the politician who introduced economic reform under the rule of King Louis XIV and was a significant patron of literature and the arts.

The group is exclusive, with members from twelve métiers selected on criteria of international ambition and strong cultural identity, high quality standards, creativity, imagination, and ethical conduct. Members support research, education, and cultural projects with a tenet that the luxury industry is reciprocal to creativity, innovation, and national heritage.

Open only to institutions members of the Cumulus association and concerning all disciplines in design, the competition proposes each institution to select 3 projects conceived by individuals or groups of students that will dream up the future of French luxury in 2074.

In order to contaminate society with the radiant optimism of its utopia, the Comité Colbert has conceived a collective work that it is making available to everyone. The digital book Dreaming 2074: A Utopia Created by French Luxury (available for free here) is the fruit of a unique collaboration, rich with the visions of the firms that make up the Comité Colbert…The keywords of luxury no longer confine the spaces reserved for well-being. Quite the contrary. They express emotion and sensitivity, open space and sustainability with all the force of the momentary, requirement and respect, knowledge and action for the happiness of all. Almost three centuries ago, a young French revolutionary said that happiness was a “new idea in Europe”. Today, it has become a central idea in the world, as we approach the 22nd century of the Common Era. In 2074, despite the doomsayers, France is more than ever a source of joy for the entire planet…

Drawing from this collective utopia, projects will show how French luxury can be still this source of joy in 2074.