Claude Arpels

Arpels was born to Claude Arpels, son of Julien Arpels, who headed the American operations of Van Cleef & Arpels and helped the firm establish a presence on Fifth Avenue since 1939.{{Cite news|last=Ap|date=1990-10-19|title=Claude Arpels Is Dead; Jeweler in U.S. Was 79|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/19/obituaries/claude-arpels-is-dead-jeweler-in-us-was-79.html|access-date=2021-08-29|issn=0362-4331}}

At age 16, he was sent to Brunei by his mother, Malou, to sell jewelry to the Sultan of Brunei and his family.{{Cite web|date=2012-12-05|title=Set In Style: Claude Arpels Jr. {{!}} Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum|url=https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2012/12/05/set-in-style-claude-arpels-jr/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.cooperhewitt.org|language=en-US}}

In 1991, Arpels graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in history and comparative religions. He then joined the family firm upon the death of his father and the retirement of his uncle, Phillippe Arpels, who served as president of the firm from 1985 to 1991.{{Cite web|title=RELEASE: CHRISTIE'S TO PRESENT BLOCKBUSTER $40 MILLON SALE ON OCTOBER 20 IN NEW YORK|url=https://www.christies.com/about-us/press-archive/details?PressReleaseID=4278|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.christies.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Inc|first=M. Shanken Communications|title=Bejeweled History|url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/bejeweled-history-7355|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Cigar Aficionado|language=en-US}} Arpels departed the firm in 1993 and returned to investment banking, working in Rothschild & Co's corporate finance department, and earned his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

In 1999, the family sold 80% of its stake in Van Cleef & Arpels to Richemont and Fingen SpA, a Florentine holding company, and retained a 20% stake.{{Cite web|title=Media {{!}} Richemont acquires 60 per cent interest in Van Cleef & Arpels|url=https://www.richemont.com/en/home/media/press-releases-and-news/richemont-acquires-60-per-cent-interest-in-van-cleef-arpels/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.richemont.com|language=en}} Arpels returned to the firm to serve in management, tasked with restructuring the business.

In 2003, he sold the remaining 20% of the shares and focused his business on Italy, where he acquired the Redwall Group, a company that produces bags and accessories and owns Borbonese, a leather goods brand founded in Turin in 1910.{{Cite web|last=Elkann|first=Ginevra|title=Book|url=https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847846658/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Rizzoli New York|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Redwall, Claude Arpels riparte da New York - Pambianconews notizie e aggiornamenti moda, lusso e made in Italy|url=https://www.pambianconews.com/2004/06/14/redwall-claude-arpels-riparte-da-new-york-9599/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Pambianconews|date=14 June 2004 |language=it-IT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829183936/https://www.pambianconews.com/2004/06/14/redwall-claude-arpels-riparte-da-new-york-9599/ |archive-date=2021-08-29 }} He also bought 70% of Alessandro Dell'Acqua's eponymous fashion brand in 2003.{{Cite web|title=Arpels Buys Out Majority in Alessandro Dell'Acqua {{!}} WMido|url=http://www.wmido.com/arpels-buys-out-majority-in-alessandro-dellacqua/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.wmido.com}}{{Cite web|title=Il Gruppo Richemont completa l'acquisizione di Van Cleef & Arpels|url=https://www.fashionmagazine.it/business/-Il-Gruppo-Richemont-completa-lacquisizione-di-Van-Cleef--Arpels-1531|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.fashionmagazine.it|language=it}}{{Cite web|last=FashionModelDirectory.com|first=The FMD-|title=Alessandro Dell'Acqua - Fashion Brand {{!}} Brands {{!}} The FMD|url=https://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/brands/alessandro-dellacqua/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=The FMD - FashionModelDirectory.com}} In 2005, Arpels sold his company after failing to turn a profit.{{Cite web|title=Private equity e creatività Borbonese esce dalla crisi - la Repubblica.it|url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2007/10/29/private-equity-creativita-borbonese-esce-dalla-crisi.html|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Archivio - la Repubblica.it|date=29 October 2007 |language=it}}

He was the executive producer for On_Line, an independent film directed by Jed Weintrob, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002.{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Dana|date=2003-05-04|title=Indican goes 'On_Line'|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/indican-goes-on-line-1117885556/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Variety}}

Arpels is currently an activist investor with Slow Money NYC, a company he founded that emphasizes patient capital and investing in local community as opposed to focusing on quarterly earnings and profit maximization.{{Cite web|date=2017-06-26|title=Investing with the Principles of Slow Money: Q&A with Claude Arpels|url=https://investwithvalues.com/news/investing-principles-slow-money-qa-claude-arpels/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Invest with Values|language=en-US}} He also serves the president of the board of directors of the International Contemporary Ensemble.{{Cite web|title=Board of Directors|url=https://www.iceorg.org/board-of-directors|access-date=2021-08-29|website=International Contemporary Ensemble|language=en-US}}

Arpels is married to Winsome Brown, a British-born actress and writer.{{Cite news|last=Ceria|first=Melissa|date=2002-08-25|title=GOOD COMPANY; The Odd Couple, in the Kitchen|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/style/good-company-the-odd-couple-in-the-kitchen.html|access-date=2021-08-29|issn=0362-4331}} The couple has two children and lives in Tribeca.{{Cite web|last=Arak|first=Joey|date=2011-01-20|title=The Tribeca Loft Owner's Lament: My Fireplace is a Pollutant!|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2011/1/20/10486184/the-tribeca-loft-owners-lament-my-fireplace-is-a-pollutant|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Curbed NY|language=en}} Their loft, designed by Lee Mindel, has been a subject of many interior design and lifestyle magazines.{{Cite news|last=Lewis|first=Christina S. N.|date=2011-01-20|title=The Love Affair With the Fireplace Cools|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/garden/20fire.html|access-date=2021-08-29|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|last=Betts|first=Kate|date=2011-05-16|title=A Loft Made for Easy Living|url=https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interiors/a-loft-made-for-easy-living-a-69436|access-date=2021-08-29|website=ELLE Decor|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2004-11-01|title=Order, Achieved|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/mindel-article-112004|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Architectural Digest|language=en-US}} It was also the venue for Whole Foods CEO John Mackey's book launch party in 2013.{{Cite web|date=2013-05-14|title=Permission to Splurge: Whole Foods Isn't Just About Where You Buy Your Food; It's About Who You Think You Are|url=https://observer.com/2013/05/permission-to-splurge-whole-foods-isnt-just-about-where-you-buy-your-food-its-about-who-you-think-you-are/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Observer|language=en-US}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Van Cleef & Arpels

Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni

Category:Columbia Business School alumni

Category:American people of French descent

Category:American fashion businesspeople

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)