Baccarat CEO Eyes New Hotels, Middle East Expansion

MILAN — French design brand Baccarat, which turned 261 this year, will set the Meatpacking District aglow with a 15-foot installation of its signature Zénith 84-light chandelier, in honor of its latest milestone.

On Wednesday, the historic purveyor of fine crystal will unveil its new New York City unit on 9th Avenue between 13th and 14th streets, amid such luxury neighbors as Gucci, Rolex and Soho House.

In the throes of an ongoing strategy of enticing a new generation of consumers, the firm has been building on long-standing partnerships such as those with Maison Francis Kurkdjian for its Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance, and by offering materials such as wax and porcelain. Last year it inked a collaboration with “Emily in Paris” and recently introduced new tumblers designed by American singer and artist Usher.

That’s really just the start, explained the firm’s global chief executive officer Laurence Nicolas, who joined Baccarat in February from Printemps. A member of the board since 2018, Nicolas said the brand is gearing up to open a new store in Mumbai, a shop-in-shop renovation in Harrods in the summer of 2026, designed by Moinard Bétaille, and will expand its retail presence in the Middle East.

In addition, with Starwood, the firm plans to open new hotels in Rome, Florence, Dubai, the Maldives and Miami between 2027 and 2029. Baccarat already has branded residences in New York City and plans to open residences in the Brickell district of Miami in 2026, with another planned for Dubai in 2027.

“Residences are really key today for the hospitality universe. So we really try to have the two different levers,” Nicolas said. In terms of licensing, finding the right partners is central, she said, recalling the company’s history rooted in teamwork. Baccarat was founded as a collective of artisans in 1764 in the town of Baccarat, which is located between Nancy and Strasbourg in eastern France.

“We want to encapsulate for this brand what has been established and that life is better with Baccarat. This can reassemble all the pieces of this brand which can be expressed in fragments and boutiques and dealers. We want to tell the story all over the world,” Nicolas told WWD.

High-profile Collaborations and Branding Are Key

With regard to the potential for further collaborations, Nicolas said it is highly likely the company will continue to collaborate with celebrities like Usher, who she said is a friend of the brand. Usher insisted he start every stage appearance with a toast in a Baccarat tumbler.

Lenny Kravitz, she added, is someone who is also a friend of Baccarat, and while there are currently no plans to work on a collaboration, Kravitz is said to have a Baccarat chandelier in several rooms of his Paris home. 

Baccarat, whose crystal creations range from chandeliers and Champagne glasses to jewelry pieces, vessels and figurines, was an early pioneer of hospitality branding, entering into the arena in 2003 with three Baccarat bars, one of which is in Japan. The country is Baccarat’s number-one market, followed by the U.S. and then Europe. The Middle East, she said, is increasingly growing in importance.

In 2025, Baccarat opened two stores in New Delhi, and will open another in Mumbai by the end of 2026. It currently has 700 points of sale, among which 70 are directly operated boutiques.

The holiday light installation in the Meatpacking District is called “Lights on the Cobbles Presented by Baccarat” and will debut Dec. 4 with a 15-foot installation featuring the house’s 84-light Zenith Chandelier illuminating the neighborhood. The eye-catching creation will be the ultimate expression of the company’s craftsmanship and artistry. The chandelier is adorned with 3,000 pendants, including 2,000 in Baccarat’s signature red crystal, a distinctive hue achieved by fusing clear crystal with 24-karat gold powder.

Standing at the corner of 9th Avenue and 14th Street, this chandelier will be encased in a sleek glass enclosure — rendered in striking scale for all to witness until Jan. 16.

Baccarat has also recently magnified its dedication to joie de vivre, central to its DNA, via projects like the overhaul of its historic Paris mansion with French chef Alain Ducasse, which served as the venue for a grand ball in season four of “Emily in Paris.”

Exponential Growth Starts in NYC

In New York City, the French crystal specialist will maintain two important footholds uptown, with a boutique at the Baccarat Hotel at 28 West 53rd Street, and an expansive showroom and penthouse at 55th Street and Madison Avenue that can host its top clients and curate bespoke and dedicated shopping experiences. Additionally, there will be a shop-in-shop at Bloomingdale’s flagship at 59th Street.

The boutique was designed by the acclaimed Paris-based studio Moinard Bétaille. Inspired by Baccarat’s historic factory in Lorraine, France, the space interprets its contrasts — earth and light, precision and rebellion, minimalism and extravagance — through a mix of materials and elements. These include Versailles parquet flooring reimagined in concrete; charred cedar shelves evoking the tools used to shape molten crystal; arched window forms reminiscent of the original factory, and the brand’s signature red glowing against a palette of grays and deep bronze tones.

Inside the flagship, visitors will discover Baccarat’s most emblematic collections —including Zénith, Harcourt, and Louxor — alongside new creations, exclusive collaborations, and bespoke pieces. The space will also feature rotating installations and cultural activations.

Earlier this year, the firm unveiled a new store concept at South Coast Plaza in California, a 1,300-square-foot store overhauled in February with floating chandeliers in its windows and architectural details inside reminiscent of Baccarat’s workshop in Lorraine. The shop in Harrods slated for summer 2026 will also reflect a version of the new concept. Its locations in Miami Design District and in the 53rd Street hotel in Manhattan are first in line for further renovations.