3 questions for . . .

Jean-Jacques Picart
More than a name, he’s one of fashion’s key figures, even a kind of guru for some. His mission: advise fashion businesses, luxury houses, and young designers all the way from Paris to Tokyo by way of New York. His many accomplishments include discovering Christian Lacroix, Hedi Slimane, and Guillaume Henry, to name just a few. Before that, from 1970 to 1986, his press office managed the identity for names like Cacharel, Hermès, Shiseido, La Redoute, Helmut Lang, and Levi’s. Mr Picart’s vast professional background and insatiable curiosity mean he has a lot to say about the sector.

How do you see fashion today?
Honestly, I adore this period! I’m just sorry to be as old as I am. I would have liked to be fully involved in the reinvention of the industry’s professions. Globalisation, the economic crises, and Internet have completely shaken up the way we think and create fashion professions. One part of the world is still living in synch with the past few years, and another new part is taking form and coming to life. It reminds me of May 1968. I was 20 years old, and for the youth of that time there were unacceptable and obsolete elements in our parents’ generation. I get the idea that young people today feel the same way.
Internet has profoundly changed the way we access information. We are aware that there are so many interesting things happening everywhere, meaning outside of France. The Web has made consumers over-informed. The difficulty lies in getting people to go to boutiques. Why should they go out when they can order everything they want from their own homes while wearing pyjamas?! Why go to a multi-brand store when there is such a vast e-commerce offer? Because in stores you can get special services, exclusive offers, a welcome, a smile, suggestions, and personal advice. That’s what Françoise Chassagnac offered in Victoire (a famous multi-brand boutique in the Place des Victoires in Paris, created in the 1960s, ed.). Boutiques need to offer a human touch, sincerity, feeling, and originality.
On the other hand, the fast fashion chains have done incredible work, though not those that copy too much from the catwalks. These chains have taken on luxury brand codes. They choose a top model to sell a €9.90 bikini . . . and it works! They have really put luxury labels on the spot. Now the luxury brands have to do even more to promote what makes them different and exceptional.

In the last few years, isn’t it true that both managers and designers have to be more clever than talented to succeed? Isn’t it better to be a marketing expert than to have a vision for fashion and be creative?
Talent is still very important for everyone — CEOs, designers, and buyers. Without talent, there’s no fashion! Afterwards, it’s true that what you do with your talent carries more weight than how exceptional that talent is. You have to have a kind of instinct tied to the present, to the context. But it’s just as respectable to have a career with ups and downs or one that ends prematurely. As for marketing, it’s not that much of a problem. If creativity and marketing work together intelligently, each becomes that much stronger. This much said, when the marketing aspect takes over too much authority and starts to apply pressure, that harms the designer’s private life and it’s seen in his work.
The unrelenting rhythm of collections demands attention. It’s important to let designers delegate and play the role of a orchestra conductor; this is fundamental. Otherwise, as soon as the artistic director comes apart or burns out, the machine stops! The risks are enormous.

What will tomorrow’s fashion be made of?
What’s happening in fashion is similar to what’s happening in gastronomy. We see that there’s room between the five-star restaurant and the corner bistro — there are the trendier places, those that specialise in a specific region, country, or type of dish, be it fish or something else. In fashion, a new category has recently opened up and it’s going to last. First there are the big names, the institutions that will continue to enjoy success because they renew their product offer constantly and show impressive creativity in every field. These brands earn most of their income from tie-in products. Then there are the chains like Zara, H&M, and Uniglo which continually develop their creative skills. And there are also the ready-to-wear brands like Paule Ka, Gérard Darel, and Comptoir des Cotonniers with their particular identities. These brands have to direct their creative output, since their revenues come from apparel.
Between these two are the new names which put forth niche marketing with a strong emotional impact. These brands like limited editions or customised products available in selected stores. Some examples are Jacquemus, Melinda Gloss, Bouchra Jarrar, Rabih Kayrouz, Acne, and Kitsuné. Their collections aren’t meant to please everyone, but their clients are faithful and buy more and more from the label. Fifteen years ago, Jean Colonna, Eric Bergère, and others couldn’t stay in business. Today, there’s a place for this ‘in-between’ profile.
The truth is that I’m not an optimist, because I know it’s difficult. But I’m confident about the new generation. There’s a youthful influence in the industry that’s bringing us new energy and taking us to a new era.