Lorenz Bäumer’s Place Vendôme boutique in Paris has turned sketching into a showroom tactic. Clients watch him draft designs in a studio‑like space called “la cabane du créateur,” blurring the line between artist and retailer. The hands‑on approach offers a rare glimpse into high‑end craftsmanship for premium buyers daily sessions.

Bäumer, who left Chanel and Louis Vuitton in 2013, draws with black ink and coloured felt‑tip pens, letting sketches hint at stone colour and texture. Walls display diamond rings, a scarab brooch, and past drawings archived below, while clients can even test cut‑out sketches with real stones for assessment purposes.

The trend extends beyond boutiques. Bvlgari used a digital sketch of Dua Lipa’s 18‑carat white‑gold, onyx, emerald and diamond Serpenti Déco Lumière necklace in a March post, while Cartier will exhibit panther sketches at Melbourne’s Winter Masterpieces show opening June 12. Curators note sketches reveal iterative design, breaking media silos for designers.

Even with AI’s rise, artisans insist sketches retain authenticity. Marei argues AI feels artificial, losing spontaneity, and that consumers will crave handmade proof. Such tangible drawings also aid museum acquisitions, as Feng Ji shows detailed pencil‑with‑watercolour studies to curators, proving the craft behind each piece for institutional recognition and public interest.