Made in Paris: How Paris is revitalising its fashion industry

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Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj Credits: F. Julienne

Internationally, the 'Made in Paris' label is a one typically held in esteem. However, as the current state of fashion becomes more volatile, government officials in Paris, akin to others across Europe, are stepping up to bolster their local industry in a bid to both revive the presence of established names and uplift those deemed to be increasingly promising.

This is the case for Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, the deputy mayor of Paris, who oversees the sectors of Commerce, Crafts, Liberal Professions, Arts and Fashion. In conversation with FashionUnited, Bonnet-Oulaldj talks on Paris' policies in support of the fashion industry and how the city envisions the future of 'Made in Paris'.

What is your background in fashion?

It's a new world for me. I come from a working-class background. My father was a craftsman. I'm much more familiar with the world of crafts and artisanry. In 2015, I proposed to the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, to assess and investigate 'Made in Paris'. The idea came from the observation that many professions and skills had been relocated, whereas Paris had long been a capital of production, particularly in textiles. The proposal was unanimously approved and resulted in recommendations, including the creation of the 'Fabriqué à Paris' (Made in Paris) label, to promote expertise and encourage local consumption.

This label led me to meet many young designers working in arts, design, and fashion. And so I realised that while large groups have relocated their production, the Parisian ecosystem is made up of young independent designers. Paris remains the fashion capital because the public policy we implement supports these young designers. Many settle in Paris to benefit from the freedom of expression and creation that the city offers. It's a French characteristic.

When Olivia Polski changed her mandate, I was offered her position. I have been in charge of this delegation since October 2023.

What training support does the City of Paris provide?

The fundamentals of our policy begin with public applied arts schools. We ensure the operation of the Duperré, Boule, and Estienne schools. Fashion is not limited to clothing; it includes accessories, staging, design, etc. These are complementary fields. Creativity is born from this ecosystem. Several renowned young designers have been trained by these schools, including Jeanne Friot, a Duperré graduate, who designed the equestrian outfit for the Olympic Games.

The City of Paris also supported IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) in its relocation and expansion by approving the building permit.

What are your other initiatives?

Les Ateliers de Paris is a City of Paris incubator dedicated to the development of creative businesses. 28 workshops are made available to young designers at preferential rent rates to allow them to develop and operate synergistically. This incubator includes training and showcase galleries, which are used for pop-ups. It hosts 28 young entrepreneurs per year, meaning that since its creation in 2005, it has supported 260 young entrepreneurs with a 95 percent success rate – professionals who thrive within the fashion ecosystem.

We also own business premises through the social housing provider RIVP (Régie Immobilière de la Ville de Paris). La Caserne, located in the 10th arrondissement, is an incubator-accelerator for ecological transition dedicated to young sustainable and ethical fashion designers. Design workshops, co-working spaces, and meeting rooms are made available to them at moderate rents.

The designers present [Jeanne Friot, the brand Domestique, Kevin Germanier, Benjamin Benmoyal, among others, ed.] were selected by a committee organised by the City of Paris. The management is delegated to a company that must balance its books. For this purpose, some spaces are rented at higher prices to profitable companies (such as the WSN group, the company behind Paris' trade fairs like Who's Next, Bijorhca and Salon de la Lingerie) or privatised for events.

Métropole 19, located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, is an industrial building occupied by craftspeople who work with wood or make bricks from recycled clothing, and young designers, including Clara Daguin and Marine Serre.

The Cité Artisanale des Taillandiers, located in the 11th arrondissement, is occupied by around 20 craftspeople, artists, designers, and visual artists.

In the Manufacture Berlier, in the 13th arrondissement, we have established activities related to the circular economy. This is the case for designer Hawa Sangaré, who employs more than 30 people in vocational integration programs.

The latter also benefits from a boutique in the 6th arrondissement, within the city's heritage through Paris Commerces, an operator that can pre-empt commercial premises and market them, as well as those belonging to the city's social housing providers, who own 7,700 premises.

Paris Commerces is also responsible for managing several emblematic sites dedicated to creation, such as the Viaduc des Arts, Les Frigos, and the Cour de l'Industrie.

This heritage enables our policy of supporting creative professions. It's a Parisian characteristic, both nationally and internationally. It allows young people to develop their activity from school to boutique, through the workshop.

How did this policy in favour of young designers come about?

It began in 2001, with Bertrand Delanoë [the previous mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2014, ed.], established as a response to the relocation of businesses and to combat property and real estate speculation. Since then, it has only strengthened.

Are your investments profitable?

When you see the contribution of the fashion industry to the national GDP, I think so. However, we would like large groups like LVMH, which has a lot of real estate on important shopping streets like the Champs-Élysées, or Chanel, which chose to establish 19M [a building complex dedicated to fashion craftsmanship, ed.] in Paris, Hermès, L'Oréal, or Kering to help us. Les Ateliers de Paris is associated with an endowment fund that contributes financially. I would like all the major brands that have an international presence and rely on young designers to strengthen our ecosystem.

The Municipality of Paris is not operating with a market or competitive logic. We are in a public position to strengthen our support structures for young designers and thus maintain Paris's place as the epicenter of fashion and creation internationally.

Our public service mission is to develop creation around the values of freedom [or liberté in French, which is necessary to be able to shake things up, ed.], female empowerment, and eco-responsibility for sustainable fashion. The future of young designers is no longer our role, but there are lasting examples. Like Marine Serre.

What is the economic impact of fashion on Paris (we are talking about 1.2 billion euros of revenue per year)?

It's the city's primary economic driver. During each fashion week, the tourism ecosystem – shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. – thrives.

The City of Paris is also committed to promoting excellence in craftsmanship through the 'Grands Prix de la Création' organised each year. They reward eight winners who innovate in fashion, design, and crafts. In total, more than 160 designers have been awarded, and all have experienced professional growth afterward. The idea that someone from a disadvantaged background can become a great designer is possible thanks to this prize. This is the case with Mossi Traoré, who received the Commitment Award in 2024.

Can we envision the city revitalising equipped manufacturing workshops to promote the 'Made in Paris' label?

More than 2,500 products have been labeled since 2017, and we receive more and more applications each year. We try to prioritise labeled designers and craftspeople within our real estate holdings, but the number of workshops is insufficient, and the private sector has become inaccessible. We must therefore go further by continuing to invest in real estate. A craft centre is currently under construction in the 20th arrondissement and will be completed by 2027, and we are considering a new location in the 14th.

We only have control over the premises and not the machinery. The Hawa Paris workshop and those in the Goutte d'Or [a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, ed.] have been subsidised under vocational integration and the circular economy. I do not have budget for machine tools. This falls under public finances and must therefore fulfill a public service mission.

What are the current projects and those you will propose for the 2026 municipal elections?

We want to continue strengthening public aid in terms of real estate. We are also working with the FHCM (Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode) to further help young designers access venues to organise their fashion shows, which are few and far between and very expensive. Today, we have a partnership with the contemporary art centre Palais de Tokyo. The idea is to develop this offer, starting with other prominent locations within the city at preferential rates.

We also want to facilitate the installation of showrooms, pop-ups, and fashion shows within public heritage sites to increase their visibility. The challenge of the election campaign is to place fashion at the heart of public policies. It's a challenge for culture, employment, empowerment, and the environment. I am for sustainable fashion that does not encourage consumers to discard. I want to develop workshops that are not solely intended for prototypes. Relocating manufacturing is an essential challenge for our future, and I will continue to make it my priority.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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