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Reindustrialisation – a challenge for the textile and apparel industry

In today’s context with not many positive perspectives, the industry must act!

The first wave caught us by surprise, but we learned important lessons that helped us be more dynamic during the second wave and build a strategy to confront the much dreaded 2021 Q1.

With distribution to boutiques, department stores and airports stalled, mask manufacturing clearly rounds out incomplete order books. But that’s not enough.

Reindustrialisation is on everyone’s lips, and it’s the centrepiece of the government’s stimulus plan.

But with French textile professionals’ connections with manufacturers as well as brands and distributers completely compromised, how can we seize this opportunity? How can we relearn to work together and get our sector moving again?

First of all, business managers need to demonstrate their determination to convince their clients and teams that now is the time to think collectively to give “consomm’acteurs” [conscientious consumers] a more virtuous version of fashion. They should also set goals such as producing 20% of their collections more responsibly, even locally, by the end of 2021. And finally, they could consider linen, hemp or wool, sectors that are trying to make a comeback.

The sector also has to align with projects such as Produire Ensemble to create collections while better managing development costs. This will be a reinvestment in the French manufacturing economy that has proven its agility, viability and usefulness.

The COVID-19 crisis is a disaster, but now it must be used as a trends accelerator and push us to no longer put off good-sense efforts until tomorrow.

We’re waiting for you!

Sylvie Chailloux, CEO of Mode Grand Ouest