The textile artifact from Pierre Frey’s upholstery panel that adorns a salon in the White House: may be the largest piece, certainly one of the most emblematic of the exhibition “Hidden Treasures, 250 years of Franco-American luxury stories”. In February, in Paris, the Comité Colbert, which brings together 96 “houses”, 17 cultural institutions (such as the Château de Versailles), and six European members, presented the event that will take place from May 26 to 31 at the Shed cultural center in New York. 65 “houses” and cultural institutions representing French know-how in several sectors (haute couture, gastronomy, watchmaking, perfumes, wines and spirits…) are participating. “All these houses have a chapter of their history in the United States. That’s what we’re going to tell.” The event has obtained the approval of the French embassy,” explained Bénédicte Épinay, who chairs the Comité Colbert.
The exhibition is part of a diplomatic context and calendar: the celebrations of the 250 years of Franco-American friendship. This last one has been seriously faltering since the election of Donald Trump at the head of the United States: increase in customs duties imposed by the USA on Europe, French refusal to sit on the Trumpian “Peace Council”, mockery by the American president towards his French counterpart… “It is precisely when diplomatic relations are not going well that it is important to talk about culture, beauty, what unites us,” argues Bénédicte Épinay.
The Comité Colbert, essentially composed of strongly exporting companies, implements a permanent policy of international events. In 2024, it organized “Jeux de mains” in Shanghai, on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. Here too, the context was tense, marked by the commercial standoff between China and Europe. The EU having taxed imports of Chinese electric vehicles, China had closed its doors to various products including cognac, which is of great interest to companies that are members of the Comité Colbert.
Context:
The Comité Colbert is showcasing an exhibition in New York to celebrate 250 years of Franco-American luxury and cultural history. This event comes at a time when diplomatic relations between the United States and France have been strained.
Fact Check:
The Comité Colbert is an association of French luxury goods companies that promote French culture and heritage internationally.
Luxury in jeopardy or preserved?
In the coming years, the United States are expected to surpass China in terms of international luxury markets, according to a study by Bain reported by Les Echos on November 24, 2025. And French companies have a good chance, according to the consulting firm The Heart Monitors. The study, unveiled during the press conference of the Comité Colbert, reveals that geopolitical tensions do not affect Americans’ attraction to “Frenchness”, defined as an emotional and cultural attachment to France: this is what seven out of 10 surveys declare. Even better: 61% of them say that France remains the country whose products are “worth buying”, despite price increases due to tariffs. Italy follows with 57%. And, when surveyed in September 2025, 45% of Americans said they would continue to buy French products with a 10% price increase. With a 15% increase, the proportion of die-hard fans of Made in France fell to 27%.
Another finding of the study, not all types of products benefit from the same level of attachment that protects them from price effects. Perfumes would benefit from a “very strong” level, cosmetics from a “strong” level. The Comité Colbert does not provide figures on its members’ exports, but according to Bénédicte Épinay, from the perspective of the “houses,” “the impression is much better” than the trends announced by French customs, namely a sharp decline in French exports to the USA: -13% in the last quarter of 2025 compared to the last quarter of 2024 (excluding aeronautics).
