3 questions for . . . Matthieu Gamet, President of the Maison Méditerranéenne des Métiers de la Mode and Kulte ceo
Matthieu Gamet got his first professional experience working for urban culture magazines in London. On his return to Marseille he joined the family business managing the Volcom license and later went on to buy the Kulte brand. After last year’s liquidation of the brand, he signed a manufacturing and distribution contract with Kaporal, another Marseille brand, bringing new energy to the label. During the same time he became president of the MMMM (Maison Méditerranéenne des Métiers de la Mode) in July 2014, replacing Jean-Brice Garella.
What place does the PACA (Province-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) region have in the fashion sector today?
The recent PACA region figures we presented tell a very interesting story. Our textile-apparel sector represents no less than 19,000 jobs and a turnover of €1 billion. And with around 150 brands, the region carries significant weight in France. Marseille is, in fact, France’s second most important fashion city! Paris is the capital for haute couture and designers. Marseille is a metropolis with a range of ready-to-wear brands that mostly correspond to an urban style. Our private and public partners are aware of these facts and work with us to defend and support the MMMM missions and place in the Mediterranean fashion hub.
What is the Maison Méditerranéenne des Métiers de la Mode’s role?
It has multiple roles. First, it’s an incubator for young fashion businesses. The MMMM supports and follows their activity to help them last. At the same time, we’re partners with the AMU (Université Aix-Marseille) masters 1 and 2 fashion management degrees. The students work with instructors from the region’s industry. Additionally we set up contact between young designers and their future managers, which can be key for the future. And finally we organise two competitions to recognize young talent. For the M Major project we choose 10 businesses with strong potential from our regional pool of designers. We assist them over a year with personalised B2B mentoring.
Then there’s the MFP (Mediterranean Fashion Prize) that we created in 2010 and which is open to 19 Mediterranean countries. For the 2016 edition we received 100 applications. Those 10 winners also benefit from a seven-month “premium” program working with experts for e-learning mentoring. This innovative concept of long-distance training is backed by major luxury houses such as Dior and Chanel.
What is your analysis of ready-to-wear in France and more particularly in Marseille? What are the main strengths and weaknesses?
One of the sector’s principal advantages in France is its richness and depth. I’m always surprised at how many new brands are entering the market. Every year new businesses fuelled by passion appear. This multitude of new labels keeps fashion moving. In Marseille, we are seeing an almost unprecedented creative energy. There’s a palpable enthusiasm that reminds me of the French Touch movement in music. So the sector is doing rather well. However, over the past 10 years or so the development of the fast fashion chains obviously brought fashion to the streets but also played a role in bringing prices down. That had a strong impact on the industry and brands have suffered.
Faced with this complex economic context, the MMMM’s mission is to keep regional governments informed about the situation. Today the flip side of this upheaval could be a return to our roots and locally manufactured products. With digital technology, everything is accelerated. We’re witnessing a standardisation of thought systems. For example, when a phenomenon appears in Tokyo, it can spread everywhere immediately. So it’s important to invest in authenticity and sustainable fashion as well as the Made in France label.
What are the objectives of the first #OPENMYMED event sponsored by Marseille’s luxury houses and leading fashion businesses?
We want to use this annual event that’s both cultural and economic to promote the energy and creativity of the sector. Support comes from sponsors organised by Maryline Bellieud-Vigouroux. #OPENMYMED includes several events in Marseille in two of the city’s most important venues, the MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs et de la Mode (Museum of Decorative Arts and Fashion). “13015”, the first collection from the young couturier Yacine Aouadi who was born in Northern Marseille, will be on show at the Château Borely until 29 August.
In parallel, at the Villa Méditerranée we brought together the 20 winners of our two competitions in a showroom where the designers met with international buyers, journalists, and their assigned expert mentors who determined the training schedule offered by the MMMM. The objective of the Villa Méditerranée event was to develop the designers’ knowledge to assure optimal growth. The budget attributed to instructing each winner is around €2,000.
#OPENMYMED gave us a forum to invite Mediterranean and French partners to join in discussions on current events such as the masters programs with the IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) and AMU and with numerous human resources directors, including those from Dior. The meetings were constructive and the resulting project will be the creation of a discussion and information platform.
And we’re already working on the second edition of #OPENMYMED. We’ve proven our legitimate place as a Mediterranean fashion city. Now we want to include even more regional businesses so they can participate in this fashion event.
Discover the #OPENMYMED event: www.en.m-mmm.fr