From left to right: Mikèle Landry (Glion), Tancrède Amacker (Cellap Laboratoire), Suzanne Lévesque (Richemont International), Alia Adi (Maison Amarella), and moderator Pierre Jenny during the panel discussion.

“Fribourg may not be the first name people associate with the luxury sector, but it has carved out a place of choice thanks to the quality of its know-how,” said Jerry Krattiger, Managing Director of the Fribourg Development Agency (FDA). It’s a point the canton now illustrates with a blend of pride and humility—through its companies, craftspeople, and emblematic brands.

In this spirit, the 25th edition of the magazine—now titled fribourg.swiss—was launched on the Richemont Campus in Villars-sur-Glâne, the historical Swiss home of Cartier and a symbol of exceptional savoir-faire. Under the theme Fribourg WOW! Luxury, Excellence & Prestige, the event brought together the canton’s leading players active in these fields.

A canton that nurtures top performance

Edgar Vandel, Director of the Richemont Campus, retraced the site’s history, noting that “it all started with a lighter”—a symbol of precision micromechanics that paved the way for haute horlogerie.

Today, the campus employs more than 1,400 people across some fifty professions. “We like to say Villars-sur-Glâne is the heart and lungs of the Richemont Group: you feel the pace and trends of the global market here every day,” he explained, also praising “discipline, loyalty, and a passion for quality work,” values deeply rooted in Fribourg.

For Olivier Curty, State Councillor responsible for the economy, Cartier’s 1972 arrival gave Fribourg’s economy a powerful boost. “It was the first major company to choose Fribourg and it showed many others the way. It’s also a fitting metaphor for our canton: the meeting of craftsmanship, industry, and innovation.”

Companies in this segment, he added, “enhance the canton’s image, credibility, and shared pride. They invest, train apprentices, create value, and prove that in Fribourg we produce world-class goods and services.”

The Managing Director of Glion Institute of Higher Education, Philippe Vignon, emphasized that luxury today is marked by a return to essentials.

“Authenticity is the alignment between what you say and what you do. Luxury brands must remain faithful to their essence: know-how, patience, and transmission. In a time when everything is accelerating, luxury is an invitation to take the long view, to care about detail, and to cultivate human relationships—and that is precisely what makes it desirable.”

He added: “Luxury is also an emotion; it’s not only about owning an object, but living an experience grounded in listening and recognition.”

Four perspectives on Fribourg luxury

This view resonated during a roundtable with four voices from Fribourg’s luxury ecosystem.
For Suzanne Lévesque, Secretary General of Richemont International, excellence is first and foremost a collective culture: “Each of our maisons has its own identity, yet they all share the will to do things rigorously and over time. Excellence is built day after day through training, knowledge transfer, and valuing talent.”

She also noted that excellence goes beyond the product itself: “It encompasses client relations, service, sustainability, and ethical coherence. Our clients want to know where an object comes from, who made it, and under what conditions. That trust makes all the difference.”

In scientific cosmetics, Tancrède Amacker, CEO of Cellap Laboratoire, stressed the sector’s scientific rigor: “Luxury is the truth of the result. Our products are designed, tested, and made in Switzerland, and Swiss made carries immense weight internationally. But excellence isn’t just technology: it lies in the alignment between science and the promise. We refuse marketing claims we can’t deliver.”

For Alia Adi, founder of Maison Amarella, excellence is about consistency and sincerity: “We work with premium Swiss ingredients while drawing inspirations from around the world. Every market has its tastes and codes, but our ambition stays the same: refined, sincere products cared for down to the last detail—the texture, the color, the presentation, and the story they tell.” She added: “Excellence means consistency: every macaron must be as good and as beautiful as the previous one—a delicate balance between creativity and discipline.”

Finally, Mikèle Landry, head of the luxury brand strategy specialization at Glion, highlighted the common thread: coherence. “Whether a multinational or an SME, these companies know who they are and what they want to convey. In luxury, coherence is fundamental: today’s clients are informed, demanding—often expert—and they immediately sense when a brand rings false.”

Beyond the brands, the event showcased an entire Fribourg ecosystem—a place where tradition and innovation reinforce each other, and where excellence is expressed as much in the craft as in the mindset.