“We didn’t anticipate 23 publications. We didn’t anticipate such success with coral cultivation. We hoped. But the scale of what’s been achieved — it’s extraordinary,” Chanel’s Frédéric Grangié tells Cassandra Tanti.

More than that, some of the research has begun to show unexpected relevance in other fields, including medicine. “Because red coral is an animal, like us, there are fascinating insights into its microbiome that may apply to human health. It’s opened doors we never imagined when we started,” he adds.