Independent French fashion labels use coronavirus lockdown to rethink their offerings and prepare for a new world of conscious shopping

The writing had been on the wall since Paris Fashion Week in late February. As the coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic and cases in Italy rose, it seemed likely that France would take drastic action in a bid to stem the spread of Covid-19. Still, between the closure of non-essential businesses on the evening of March 14 and French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of a lockdown starting on March 17 at noon, there wasn’t much time for Paris-based designers to make plans. “Our stores closed on Saturday evening at the usual time and haven’t reopened since,” said Officine Générale founder Pierre Mahéo. lingerie designer Yasmine Eslami, who shut her store located near the Louvre, said: “I don’t think I’ve fully realised what happened. On that Monday, I went back to the office and grabbed my things so I could continue working.” But it wasn’t just a case of closing down retail locations and offices, or switching to e-commerce. In many cases, designers had snap personal decisions to make, whether it was to shelter in place for those who were abroad when the lockdown was announced; to join or repatriate family members; or even to go in self-quarantine as a team and keep working, as have the team of French sneaker label Amrose, led by siblings Océane and Victor Castanet. What happens next? With the lockdown to be extended beyond April 15, when it had been due to end, according to officials who spoke to French media this week, far-reaching repercussions are still expected, despite a financial rescue package hastily put in place by the French government, including subsidies for staff furloughs, grants, and the deferral of corporate taxes and social charges. On the heels of the cancellation of the summer men’s and couture fashion weeks, emerging brands and designers are still weighing the few options left on the table, while navigating rapidly changing developments. Charaf Tajer had been in Hawaii for a series of photo shoots for his menswear label Casablanca, available at retailers such as Galeries Lafayette, I.T. and Shanghai’s Le Monde de SHC, when the lockdown was announced. “The biggest hurdle is that no one knows what’s going to happen a month or even a week from now,” he said. “There have been order cancellations for autumn 2020. Fashion Week being cancelled is something that we’d thought about but it’s still hard to hear. That’s a key time of year for business, so we don’t know how we’ll manage. We are in uncharted waters. The key is keeping morale high, so we talk a lot to see how everyone in the team feels, to stay connected.” Tajer views the enforced downtime, which he is using to research and develop his upcoming collection, as a pause for thought. “Let’s take the time to think, see how we can deal with things. Everyone has a role to play. The only certainty I have now is that it will be impossible to go back to consuming and being as oblivious to what’s going around us. It’s an unprecedented situation for our generation and, I hope, an opportunity to rise to the occasion in more noble ways.” For Officine Générale’s Mahéo, the lockdown and fashion week cancellation is an opportunity to think about the industry’s deeper issues, as he continues to go to the office, alone. “At this point, we’re looking at scenarios with a June reopening of our stores. The e-shop has stayed open to keep a link, and clients kept ordering, with a skeleton crew in the warehouse and strict guidelines to ensure their health and that of our customers. The style team are now part-time, given that we have parents who must manage home schooling. “The hardest decision was putting store staff on furlough, on around 80 per cent of their salaries. But there was no way I was firing anyone,” he says. Mahéo adds: “It’s a little complicated, because there’s this impression of starting over from scratch, alone on my kitchen table. The first eight days were about getting a feel of what our wholesale clients need and finding compromises. It’s a moment of mutual respect and understanding. “We are and will all be affected, so sticking your head in the sand and trying to enforce orders as they were is not useful. It’s better to lower quantities than cause cancellations. “Given most events are cancelled well into the summer, there was no reason fashion should be spared [and fashion week allowed to proceed]. Cancelling made complete sense: fashion is supposed to be connected to reality, and to the way people live. Beyond the financial aspects, would it have been decent to put on events in such a context? “We know spring/summer 2021 will be a very different season, no doubt a difficult one, with a general economic slowdown. This might be the opportunity to think about doing things differently. That’s something we are starting to hear, internally and from other brands. Now’s the time to think about deep issues, rather than the ones at hand.” For couturier Alexis Mabille, late March and April are traditionally awards season and a time when couture clients are expecting delivery of their January orders. He has not yet begun work on his next collection, as he is working on requests that have not slowed down. “Creatively, this is a busy time, with couture clients continuing to make requests, despite events being postponed. So there is hope. Haute couture is a little like hospitality. Our business has a big service component, so we have to keep deadlines and deliver on schedule – provided destination countries still accept international freight,” Mabille says. “Our main issues are providing timely service and our supply chain. Many fabric suppliers are closed. Ateliers and craftspeople are still operating, with a number of them working from their own spaces. The danger lies with the artisanal system, which is well oiled but incredibly delicate and sensitive. Activity must continue because clients are demanding. If no one can supply the necessary materials, everything will die out.” Mabille adds: “The impact will be felt, mostly on ready-to-wear. The biggest impact will be on the spring/summer 2020 collections that are already in store. Luxury has a high probability of being heavily hit. “The cancellation [of couture week] is still very fresh, so everything is still unclear. What I know is that we’ll have to present in a different way. The mood will not be the same. This will force many to reinvent themselves. It’s not a bad thing. It won’t be the same, but we’ll stay connected. The onus is on us to build and nurture these links.” The epidemic has put the brakes on what would have been a banner season for the 20-strong team at Y/Project. For designer Glenn Martens, the challenge of the coming season will be preserving the brand’s signature aesthetic while adapting to new presentation formats if physical meetings aren’t advisable. Martens says: “For menswear, we lucked out because our orders were already in production. Factories in Europe are still working so we anticipate slight delays. “For our women’s collection, part of the market, especially our Asian retailers, did not come to Paris in March. After that, around 25 per cent of our clients cancelled their orders. That being said, it was one of our best selling collections so in the end, we stayed stable. “As it is, we have had no reason to put anyone on furlough, because the work is still going on. Everyone can work from home at this stage. June’s menswear has been cancelled but the collection still has to be there. It might get trickier in two or three weeks, when we need to start making patterns and samples – the team might end up having to make them. Factories aren’t taking orders for those and we don’t know if they will. Also, how do you make a collection with the least amount of physical contact within the team?” Martens adds: “Without a show, how will buyers work? If it’s all shown online, how do we translate our aesthetic? We are known for our patterns, our construction, removable elements – it sells better when seen in reality. How can we keep the complexity while making the pieces understandable at a distance? We don’t have answers yet. “That being said, all this free time is forcing us to be aware of how lucky we are, especially in an industry that never stops. Let’s see if our good resolutions hold until September, but I think it’s already following a path towards consciousness, sustainability, increased respect for craft.” Paris-based Swiss designer Kevin Germanier had been in London when France went into lockdown. While travel was not restricted, he is staying there in case he needs to return to his family in Switzerland. “I can work from anywhere. I was very fortunate to be able to finish my collection before the French lockdown started. My clothes are made in Shanghai and the factory was just reopening after China’s lockdown, having been fully inspected. Whatever happens, I just want to make sure I’m able to pay everyone, be it my team or my suppliers. “There wasn’t a significant impact on my sales of this season, but I felt that buyers remained very prudent, not taking on too many new designers or making large orders.” Germanier adds: “For next season, I don’t think I’ll be making radical moves. It will be about consolidating what I’ve created so far with the brand, and remaining transparent in the process. One consequence I hope will stem from this tragic moment is that people question how and what they buy. I hope they’ll think about more sustainable choices, that they’ll have learned something from this situation.”