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Taste it before it disappears. Or post it and prove you were there.

Why luxury brands partner with neighbourhood bakeries

Author

Olga Merzlyakova
April 30, 2025

In today’s world, true exclusivity is easier to create than one might think.
It’s no longer just about what you have — it’s about what others can’t have.

That’s why experiences have become the real luxury currency.
But smart brands are showing you can manufacture FOMO without million-euro investments.

One strategy?
Luxury brands partnering with neighborhood bakeries for ultra-limited pastry drops.

Forget branded latte art — today, luxury houses are teaming up with beloved patisseries for hyper-local pastry releases that vanish in days (or even hours). You can only taste them if you’re in the right zip code — and quick enough to queue.

Some examples

Pasticceria Cova × Berluti

Milan, Paris

Image credit: Berluti

To celebrate the launch of Berluti's "Toile Marbeuf" travel line, the brand partnered with the historic Pasticceria Cova — also owned by LVMH — transforming the patisserie with Berluti's signature color palette and offering exclusive pastries inspired by the collection.

Patou × Ladurée

Paris

Image credit: Galeries Lafayette

Patou collaborated with Ladurée to create a limited-edition pink macaron box adorned with the initials of Jean Patou, containing twelve floral-flavored macarons.

Valentino Beauty × Butterful & Creamorous

Shanghai

Image credit: @toto_tongpuiyee

Valentino Beauty teamed up with South Korean bakery Butterful & Creamorous to transform its Shanghai flagship store into a "Wilderness Purple" themed space, offering co-branded pastries and a multi-sensory experience blending taste and fragrance.

Max Mara × Butterful & Creamorous

Shanghai

Image credit: Max Mara

Max Mara partnered with Butterful & Creamorous to launch a co-branded product drop featuring brown packaging, aligning with China's 'Maillard style' trend and offering pastries inspired by the brand's aesthetic.

Why brands love it:

  • Instant PR:
    Food + fashion = double media coverage. Luxury press and lifestyle/food media pick it up.
    A €6 pastry drop gets more buzz than a €1600 bag launch.

  • Built-in FOMO:
    Drops are limited. Most people only hear about them after they’re gone. And missing the pastry makes them want the bag or the dress even more.

  • Virality by design:
    Visually irresistible, these collabs are made for Instagram, fueling organic reach and brand desire.

  • High impact, low cost: Compared to store openings, a pastry collab offers cultural relevance with minimal investment.

  • Deep local credibility:
    Partnering with beloved neighborhood bakeries roots global brands in real communities—and signals authenticity.

In summary, it’s fast, it’s hyper-local, it’s viral. In a world where luxury is less about logos and more about emotional connection, even a croissant can become a status symbol — if it’s rare enough.

Would you queue for a Jacquemus croissant?
(I would—if I find out in time.)

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