She climbs the steps of a marble staircase dressed in a very long black dress over which her jet-black hair flows. Her jewelry, sober but imposing – a silver chain-style necklace, matching earrings and several rings – reveal a comfortable lifestyle. Her face, devoid of a smile, cultivates the image of a mysterious woman.
Her name is Aurélie Bard, she is French, and she is on the cover of the very chic lifestyle magazine “Modern Luxury Palm Beach” published in Florida in August 2024. At 39 years old, she seems to have achieved the fame that she was looking for in the world she chose to build her new life. The planet of the rich who treat themselves to dream homes in Dubai, Mykonos or Miami. And who travel by business jet.
Thanks to her company Haute Design, she sells her interior design advice at a high price to a few wealthy people. On the company’s website, we learn, for example, that she decorated DJ Khaled’s private lounge in the airport where his new plane, a Global 6500, is parked. She also worked on the renovation project of the Chateau Allison, a sumptuous building in Miami Beach. Her activities are very diversified since she is also involved in the media with Haute Design Media Group of which she was appointed creative director. A position which allows him to collaborate “closely”, we read on the site, with a certain Kamal Hotchandani, the “dynamic” general manager of Haute Living, another company in this strange galaxy.
July 1, in the interior architecture agency Haute Design by Aurélie Bard that she created in Miami.
Bestimage / © HauteDesignbyAB via Bestimage
Aged 49, Hotchandani has been sailing in chic Miami for much longer than Aurélie Bard. He notably created a small press group, Advanced Multimedia Group, whose valuation would have reached 40 million dollars. When they talk about themselves, these associates don’t skimp on self-compliments. “Kamal’s visionary leadership and Aurélie’s creative genius will complement each other to take Haute Design Media Group to the top, allowing it to remain a leader in luxury decoration media design. »
A well-filled address book
From opening to charity evening, from party to party, the young entrepreneur Aurélie Bard stood out. His address book has filled up. His CV boasts diplomas from the prestigious London Business School, a master’s degree in international finance and risk management and a bachelor’s degree in real estate and interior design.
The rest after this ad
As the star of an American lifestyle magazine. The issue was published in August.
Bestimage / © Bestimage
To those who question her, she tells that, in the past, she launched a company specializing in wealth management in France and advised ready-to-wear distribution companies. She also likes to explain that she founded a company operating in the real estate and interior design markets in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The art of beautifying, in addition to houses, one’s reputation.
A dazzling journey in Florida
Kara Franker, the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Modern Luxury Palm Beach”, praises in her editorial the one who moved to Miami in 2023: “Speaking of very good taste, read our subject dedicated to the interior designer Aurélie Bard to discover his ultra-chic appreciation for the most refined decorative objects. She is charting a dazzling course in South Florida with her European-influenced projects; she focuses her efforts on providing her customers with what they ask for, and even more. »
The victory sign to celebrate a partnership with the American luxury magazine “Haute Living” in the Japanese restaurant Zuma, in Mykonos (Greece), on July 27.
Bestimage / © Capture Instagram via Bestimage
On page 65 of the quarterly, a long interview is published, illustrated with two large photos of the designer. The questions are not destabilizing, and the answers are always full of grandiloquence, superlatives and platitudes. “I want to transform spaces into timeless sanctuaries, discreetly mixing the beauty of the classic with the contemporary spirit. I believe that every space should reflect the values and aspirations of its owner. And tell a story that is unique to them… My inspirations are deeply enriched by the textures of clothing and by the traditions encountered during my travels around the world. »
The building where Aurélie Bard lived, in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in Hauts-deSeine, before her departure for Florida.
Bestimage / © Stephane Lemouton
Keen to consolidate her image as a high-level professional, she also details her favorite suppliers such as Luxxu, a Portuguese decoration brand with which she claims to have “collaborated for many years” because she likes “their sophisticated lighting and furniture collections.” which bring an extra touch of glamor and refinement.”
The Frenchwoman’s golden lifestyle hides a troubled past
How beautiful the success story seems! A little too much anyway. Something is wrong. Something that clearly no one has yet detected in Florida. The Frenchwoman’s golden lifestyle hides a troubled past which will suddenly catch up with her in the heart of summer. In a scenario worthy of the best Hollywood noir films, the businesswoman was arrested on August 12 when she got off a jet at Figari airport, in Corsica, and placed in pre-trial detention six days later.
Immediate boarding for this jet-setter who displays her lifestyle on social networks.
Bestimage / © Capture Instagram via Bestimage
Investigators from the Paris prosecutor’s office are looking for her following a complaint filed in July by the ready-to-wear brand Kiabi. The company, owned by the very secretive and powerful Mulliez family, has just noticed that 100 million euros had disappeared from its accounts! This sum had been placed in a European bank in order to generate interest, on the advice of the company responsible for managing Kiabi’s cash flow. A company managed by… Aurélie Bard.
Aurélie Bard in the Florida premises of Arca, a high-end ceramic tile company with which she announces a collaboration in the form of a “harmonious merger”. In Miami, July 15.
HauteDesignbyAB via Bestimage / © HauteDesignbyAB via Bestimage
Candor or supreme skill?
She is therefore suspected of being at the origin of this fraudulent operation. Especially since her criminal record is not clean, as she has already had problems with the law. Oddly enough, she never hid. This summer, she hasn’t stopped posting photos of herself on Instagram, in Mykonos, for example. Why would she have come to France if she was responsible for this scam? Was she framed by a police ploy?
Beyond that, we can also wonder about Kiabi’s lack of vigilance. Having 100 million euros stolen by someone sulphurous, that’s a stain. When Aurélie Bard was arrested, 500,000 euros of clothes and jewelry were allegedly found in her luggage. Candor or supreme skill, his carelessness remains disturbing.
