3 Questions for . . . Lyne Cohen-Solal
Lyne Cohen-Solal is a well known name and a familiar face in the world of fashion. As deputy mayor responsible for trade, artisans, independent professions, and craftwork for the City of Paris from 2001 to 2014, she proved her commitment to bring together fashion professionals, help designers, and support the development of fashion business in Paris and the surrounding areas. As the creator of the Ateliers de Paris and president of the Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris, she has championed large-scale projects such as Les Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design.
Last January, Emmanuel Macron, minister of the economy, industry, and digital affairs, and Fleur Pellerin, minister of culture and communication, gave Ms. Cohen-Solal the mission of identifying ways to boost the cultural and economic development of French fashion and designers. Her report will be published soon.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of French fashion today?
French fashion is an extremely dynamic and powerful activity. Its main strengths are its immense creativity and export capabilities. These are very important elements. Its weaknesses, however, are too great a dilution of its force, and a lack of synergy between different parts of the industry, and this causes a loss of energy. There are also shortcomings in training and the financing system. Basic training, especially for technicians, is good, but there is no masters program for fashion design. Higher education doesn’t recognize fashion design as a discipline. That’s not the case in Belgium, Italy, or Great Britain. For financing, we should look at the film industry model, since that works well.
What do you think are the most important actions needed to build up the sector?
I can’t give you details about the measures in my report, since I haven’t yet submitted it. But I can tell you that I want to present solutions and some ideas to improve training and the synergies within the industry, and to make the financing process more efficient.
For this last point, there are several measures to enact. It’s not normal to have so many obstacles to financing the design profession when our country is globally acknowledged as the home of fashion. Fashion, of course, doesn’t always produce immediate profits, even though there are some great rapid success stories. Bankers need to understand that so they can assist brands over the long term and during the different stages of their development.
Fashion is a cultural and creative industry that doesn’t receive enough financial help in our country, probably because it’s considered “frivolous”, which is scandalous when you realize it employs over 700,000 people and is the top French export product to Asia!
I would also like to suggest that we pay more attention to sustainable development in fashion activities and push harder for the right use of digital technologies.
How do you see the future and the potential of French fashion?
French fashion has a prestigious history. The future can and should be equally prestigious. For that to happen we have to give ourselves the means. We have marvellous assets and we should use, develop, and promote them. The world changes very quickly. French fashion should adapt better to globalization and digital technology, and face up to the tremendous international competition. Creativity and traditional savoir-faire combined produce excellent results. Being lucky enough to have both in the same country, we can build an even stronger manufacturing sector. I am not one of those who says it’s too late since our most renowned industrialists have disappeared. Other industries must and will appear ‒ there are so many very enthusiastic young people who want to fill the gap and are working to do so. We have to encourage and support them. I think fashion has every chance and all the capacities to be a cultural and creative industry in the future. It continuously creates jobs, invents products, and exports goods. France can and must continue to base part of its economic and cultural development on this creative force admired the world over and on that force’s inexhaustible supply of energy.