fashionindustry

Triennale: “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès”

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Insights for the future of fashion

Yesterday at the Triennale Teatro Milano, we witnessed a special event: “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès.” For the level of culture transmitted, the interview was worth it an entire fashion week. Yes, because fashion is culture.

Cathy Horyn – “The New York Magazine” and “The Cut” fashion editor – with Marco Sammicheli – director of the Museum of Italian Design, Triennale Milano – conducted the interview.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès: A history of culture & craftsmanship

The creative director of Hermès made us know more about the Maison in an attempt to analyse the issues, challenges and transformation the fashion industry faces in this rough time. Dumas narrated the anecdotes, the history of the family and his personal journey, and craftsmanship as fundamental elements of the Maison. No arrogance, only passion. In fact, the word culture has emerged several times.

“Being a creative director is turning off the ego to listen to others’ ideas.”

“Robert Dumas once said: luxury is something you can repair.”

“We don’t need marketing.” (Like saying we don’t need to trick people).

“My values are sincerity, honestly, quality.”

Most of all, he focused on the creative and artisanal process. Also, he talked about “Petite H” – a workshop where they collect all the scraps and pieces that do not pass quality control so that designers can give them a second life. In other words, they recycle and upcycle.

However, he’s been clear on one point: “Sustainability, that’s where we have a problem in fashion.”
In fact, they are experimenting with vegetable leather and undertaking low-impact practices. He said, maybe, in 15 or 20 years, the industry will reach sustainable standards. But we are afraid we do not have 15 years to make change.

A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas Hermès

Martin Margiela & modern luxury

The conversation ends with a note about Martin Margiela, wanted in the company by Pierre-Alexis’ father.
“Margiela helped redefine the idea of luxury. He could go straight to the essence.”
At that point, we were moved by everything that no longer exists and by what is now fashion.
The image projected onto the screen was the one we reported here as a quote. It was 1999, and we can find everything there:

  • timeless style par excellence, i.e. timeless fashion
  • simplicity as added value
  • quiet luxury
  • genderless

The words culture, tradition, craftsmanship, design, and creativity stood out throughout the event “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès.” Specifically, the whole story of Hermès brought out what is now missing in fashion: family businesses disappeared, and so have their soul. Corporations took the place of family businesses, but brands and maisons have no souls anymore.

You know, there is always something to learn.
Hello, fashion industry!

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Back to fashion design

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Were unskilled designers worth the ride?

There’s a process happening in the fashion industry, a change of direction, which takes brands back to fashion design.
What does it mean? Real fashion designers are back in charge of designing fashion brands. Wasn’t their job? Yes, of course. But the fashion industry loves insta-fluff to generate revenue. So, popularity won over skills.

But, after a decade of sportswear, big exposed logos, and poor designs, the wind is finally changing. Specifically, the heart of the matter is that celebrity designers with a pervasive social media presence and a huge following base have oversaturated the market with products. But that doesn’t sell anymore.

The sense of improvisation, lack of skills, clothes taken from thrift shops and assembled by chance, or designs clearly stolen from other designers was really too much. It has contributed to impoverishing the perception of fashion, which has become a game for clowns rather than a matter of culture.

Therefore, the vision of a creative director having more knowledge about fluff than expert hands seems over. Perhaps some fashion Maisons made a lot of money overflooding the market with pointless stuff, but they destroyed their heritage. So, were unskilled designers worth the ride?

For instance, we are curious to see what Sabato De Sarno will do with his much-awaited Gucci show. Indeed, deleting everything from Gucci’s social media account seems to be a good start to cleaning up the image.
Also, we are curious to see Phoebe Philo, known for her minimalist and timeless style, launch her namesake brand.

Fashion design: what makes the difference

Though we think contemporary fashion Maisons are not so interesting because they are just a game of finance and overproduction, we appreciate the idea of moving from big logos to skilled fashion design.

Exposed logos don’t make the difference but represent a poor idea of style, which sounds more like marketing than actual fashion knowledge.
What makes the difference is good design, pattern-making, tailoring, and craftsmanship. That is what adds value and makes garments stand out.

Ultimately, we wonder what credibility those who play these games have. Most importantly, can those who fed their clients with garbage educate their audience to something more refined?

Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us! Comment below or WhatsApp directly from here!

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The fashion dinosaur

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Why aren’t fashion people adapting to the new context?

The fashion industry looks like a dinosaur that, no matter what happens around it, keeps doing the same stuff as it has always done.

In Milano, we are boiling. Literally. Physically. Around 26 to 30 degrees Celsius. We’d rather go back to the beach! People wear short-sleeved cotton T-shirts and lightweight cotton jackets for the office. But we sweat like in August. And even if there’s a light rain today, it’s definitely not the wool weather. The situation doesn’t seem much different across Europe.

We are going to get Fall/Winter clothing collections soon, which we postponed a little. It didn’t seem so urgent, at least from our viewpoint, to sell wool trousers. Well, unless someone plans to go to Norway! In that case, let us know, and we’ll find something cool for you.
Also, the Milano Fashion Week is about to start, but the fundamentals are always the same.

Climate change & the fashion dinosaur

Hey, climate change is real. In this abnormal context, which seems the new normal, does it make sense to work as we have always done? Can’t we evolve towards something different?

For brands: What’s the point of planning collections as they have always done? Following a pattern totally disconnected from reality – is it what we need now?

For people who buy fashion: Does it make sense to follow brands, shops, or people who urge you to purchase clothes out of the actual context?

More seasonless fashion: the style #formodernhumans

What changes should the fashion industry make to adapt to the new context? The industry needs to set up collections differently, choosing natural materials and leaner selling patterns. Less mass products, more tailoring and made-to-order. More seasonless designs.

However, it would be interesting to understand why people don’t understand brands that offer an alternative fashion concept. Indeed, we would like to hear your thoughts on this point.

Do you know you can buy seasonless items if you need something new? More and more, it makes sense to focus on seasonless clothing because it is more adaptable to different weather conditions. And with a proper layering style, you can wear these garments throughout the year.

In the end, dinosaurs have gone extinct. So will the fashion dinosaur if we do not make a change.

Share your thoughts with us! Comment here below or WhatsApp directly from here!

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The London Fashion Scene

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Creativity, business and fashion education

The London fashion scene is undergoing a change. In fact, the news that Sarah Burton exits Alexander McQueen after two decades offers the opportunity for reflection on the field. In the fashion industry, London has always been synonymous with rebellious creativity. We’ve always admired British designers for their openness and innovative style. However, the economic situation impacted corporations, designers and fashion schools, disrupting the fashion scene.

Kering Group owns McQueen, Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. The conglomerate needs to revive sales and grow. Yes, they are among those who talk about sustainability and growth at once, which is nonsense. But that’s another story. Yet we think the first question the group should ask is: Can McQueen be a mass brand? Especially after the death of diffusion lines, McQ included?

London, creativity & fashion schools

By the way, London has always been the perfect place for those who want to express themselves in an avant-garde style with a fresh take on fashion. We have been working in the fashion industry for about 27 years now, and we have been inspired by the way designers in London pushed the boundaries of fashion. It’s been truly amazing!
In London, also, you can find some of the top fashion schools. Each one with its unique approach to teaching, these schools have produced some of the most successful and influential designers in the fashion industry.

Over time, from McQueen to Hussein Chalayan, to mention a couple of our favourites, we’ve been selecting some great pieces of clothing for our boutique and our clients. Of course, the scene is much wider. For instance, look at the great work Kervin Marc does!

Now, because of Brexit, costs have gone up, skyrocketing. So did taxes and duty fees. This makes it difficult for young designers and small brands to run their fashion businesses even because exporting to other countries is more complicated.

Ultimately, it is challenging for London to remain the place where rebellious ideas can grow and where new and upcoming designers can give space to their creativity. Furthermore, from the perspective of education, now only very wealthy kids can access London fashion schools.

We might face the beginning of a new phase in the London fashion scene. But if creativity gives in to business interests and fashion design is for rich kids and celebrities searching for an exciting pastime, what should we expect in the future of fashion?

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Small parts to preserve the environment

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Are fashion brands really doing enough?

According to some news, top luxury fashion brands and other popular ones do their small parts to preserve the environment. And, following their reasoning, these “small parts” are enough to make a big difference. But is it true?

Fashion industry & climate change

It is proven that human actions have caused climate change. Also, we know that fashion is a big polluting industry which discards tons of waste everywhere. So, we wonder, what are they trying to say with these pieces of news? How do these messages translate into facts? Are they really making a positive impact?

For instance, in the context of brands doing their small part for a lower-impact fashion industry, a newsletter said that Dior launched a pair of recyclable sneakers. So, they say, the brand is doing its part for climate change. But, for a juggernaut, is this single move enough to preserve our planet?

In today’s world, it’s a common concern whether the sustainability efforts made by corporations are genuine or just a form of greenwashing. Some argue that any small step taken towards sustainability can bring about a positive change. But that could probably work decades ago. At this moment, the situation has gotten so much worse that this news seems ridiculous.

In the face of a climate emergency, forget small steps – we need radical change!

Marketing: The realm of greenwashing

In fact, we agree with those who believe such efforts are simply a PR tactic without any significant systemic change. These news are part of fashion marketing plans, which should be labelled as greenwashing.

Corporations or brands of any size set up their marketing plans and release that kind of information, which has no basis. Magazines, fashion journalists or influencers get paid to share the great news. Hey, it’s business in the end! Who cares if it’s misleading?
The point is that most people take that kind of news for granted. So, whoever shares them is complicit in promoting greenwashing.

Now, please tell us, do you think brands make a big difference by doing their small parts to preserve the environment? Do you really believe it?

Comment here below or WhatsApp directly from here!

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