3 questions for . . . Françoise Seince, Ateliers de Paris director

For the 10 years prior to her current appointment as Ateliers de Paris director, Françoise Seince was a journalist and then Editor-in-Chief for the Métiers d’Art magazine and communication manager for the Société d’Encouragement aux Métiers d’Art (now the Institut National des Métiers d’Art). She has served as the Ateliers de Paris director since 2005, and during this time has expanded both its structure and areas of activity. Each year the Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin partners with the City of Paris for the fashion category of the Grand Prix de la Création which recognizes an emerging talent and an already established designer.

What are the Ateliers de Paris’ missions? And what major evolutions have you observed for brands over the past 10 years?

The Ateliers de Paris structure is a service provided by the City of Paris. It’s dedicated to the support and promotion of the creative industry, which includes the artistic, fashion, and design professions. To fulfil our mission we have several tools at our disposal. All concerned professionals have access to an assistance centre with training in starting a business as well as advice in all the areas that make up business activity: management, legal protection, marketing, and communication. For fashion designers, a shared Lectra platform is available. Promoting creative professionals happens through several avenues, including exhibitions in our Gallery and in open air spaces. The Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris honours two designers in each of three categories: art, fashion, and design. The Ateliers de Paris also runs a business incubator to help creative professionals submit applications for reduced-rent work spaces to be used for a maximum of two years. We have a total of 40 creative professionals in three sites.

As far as the evolution in designers’ situations, ten years ago when they manufactured in the Parisian metropolis, it was more or less by default. Today they work with a Made in France philosophy, and sometimes with subcontractors that are more flexible than in the past. Emerging brands communicate about their sourcing and manufacturing ethics as well as their carbon footprint. Fashion today takes these issues into account.

What strong and weak points do you see in the young fashion designers in the Ateliers de Paris and elsewhere?

Training programs in France are very good, through today they should allow students go even further in their studies. Our young fashion designers are as creative as our technicians are competent. They remain, however, poorly prepared for economic challenges and especially for the business side of fashion. I rarely encourage young people just out of school to start their own brand. They need to acquire professional experience first to avoid wearing themselves out too quickly. It’s always difficult for a fashion brand to start up. The rhythm is unrelenting and the milieu is harsh. Brands have trouble staying alive. Additionally, they require means that they rarely possess.

What would be the measures to adopt to better prepare young designers and young brands to not just start but last today?

We undoubtedly need more structures like the Ateliers de Paris, especially with equipped spaces. In Paris there aren’t any shared services for fashion designers. We also need to offer them communal services such as a cutting room, machines, grading software, drapers to help them fine-tune prototypes, and easier ways to find supplies. Everything is very expensive for small, independent structures that don’t have buying power which translates into no negotiating margin. We could also wish for a certain helpfulness from already established brands towards those that are starting out. And finally, we need to better identify potential private investors, because finances are the foundation. The creative talent is already there!