Montblanc kicked off its global 110th-anniversary celebration in high style—literally. The black-tie gala on April 5 in New York brought V.I.P.s like Hugh Jackman, Kate Bosworth, Charlotte Casiraghi, and Matthew Morrison to the iconic Rainbow Room, 65 stories above Rockefeller Center, where they were treated to a retrospective showcase and seated dinner.
During cocktails in the venue’s main gallery space, which also housed the step-and-repeat, guests partook in a timeline of Montblanc’s illustrious history—including how a trip to New York a century ago inspired the creation of Montblanc—while also signing a dedicated journal for the evening celebrating the pioneering spirit.
According to Jens Henning Koch, executive vice president of marketing at Montblanc, it was important that the brand emphasize its contemporary relevance—and not appease traditional celebrations.
“We looked at what we wanted to express, and rather than using 110 as a marketing tool, we wanted to look at what made Montblanc tick all these years,” said Koch.
After cocktails, guests entered the Rainbow Room space itself, resplendent in red and black in homage to the brand’s Rouge et Noir writing collection, its first product series introduced in 1909 distinguished by a black body with red cap, reissued in celebration of the anniversary and now featuring the addition of a snake motif. “This is where we showcase our expertise since 1906,” said Koch. “Not that we’re old and dusty; instead, that our pioneering spirit is still burning.”
The residential aesthetic of the venue had guests walk in a circular formation, counterclockwise, as they explored the six pillars of the Montblanc universe: watches, heritage, writing instruments, jewelry, leather goods, and digital. From a bird's-eye view, it echoed the six glaciers that form the white top star logo of Montblanc. “We would have loved to have built the Montblanc mountain at Rockefeller Center, but that was not possible,” Koch joked.
Naturally, with every facet on display, the challenge of aligning them organically was at top of mind. “We acted within each category as if it was a pure play in that [sole] category because you have to be very innovative and careful in expressing your craftsmanship,” said Koch. “Yet it is the strength of our maison to cross-connect the categories. If such a cross-category approach would not create value for each category, we would not have done it.”
Dinner for more than 110 guests followed on the same level in the expansive SixtyFive venue, where Montblanc revealed a $1.37 million Ultimate Serpent Limited Edition 1 pen emblazoned with 15.34 carats of dark blue sapphires and wrapped with a hand-engraved rose gold serpent with a six-carat diamond in the shape of the Montblanc star logo atop the cap.
As part of a new automotive partnership—Montblanc recently created a special pen for a centennial edition BMW 7 Series sedan—the German automaker shuttled guests to the gala.
According to Koch, there are plans to recreate the exhibition and present it in New York again in the second half of this year.
