Association Jean-Luc François: passing on know-how at the heart of training

After training with the leading Haute Couture and ready-to-wear Houses, Jean-Luc François launched his first brand in 2002. In 2010, his personal experience and professional background led him to become involved as a volunteer in supporting young people at risk of educational and family breakdown. "The initial aim was to introduce them to hand-based professions, both sewing and crafts in general" he explains. The immediate success of this initiative led him to extend his influence through accompanying missions all over the world.

It was during his travels, in 2012, that his friends in the fashion industry alerted him to the growing recruitment needs in France. From there, a brainstorming process began around the design of training courses for technical professions in fashion. The aim being to identify new profiles that are often overlooked: "people with a passion for artisanal professions, generally in the middle or at the end of their careers, who have not had access to recognized training" stresses Jean-Luc François. This situation prompted the association to extend its scope of action to reach a public far from employment (RSA recipients, applicants registered with Pôle emploi...).

Supported by industry professionals and public authorities, the association offers 3 key training courses in technical fashion design professions: garment making model mechanic, finishing operator and alteration technician, which meet the needs expressed by the industry. Then, in 2016, he launched the first textile-clothing-accessories-and-home-decor incubator in Île de France. This regionally-subsidized initiative, aimed at young creators, encompasses comprehensive support, from business management to technical upgrading for 6 months. To date, the incubator has supported 105 entrepreneurs. To take things even further, the association has also set up a cooperative production workshop, located in the Somme region of France, aimed at producing small and medium batches and also offering an exhibition space.

A new way of creating

Jean-Luc François stresses the importance of anticipating future developments in the sector. He advocates the design of collections adapted to a diversity of tastes, morphologies and ages. "Brands need to consider harmonious collaborations, working together instead of competing, with a model based on quality rather than quantity." The evolution of fashion has forced a radical transformation in the ways collections are created. "Back when I worked with Monsieur Saint Laurent, we'd do 285 references per show, today we usually do 40. However, we're creating more collections that we're going to work on differently, which requires more skills." New trends, diversification of materials and innovative production methods have profoundly altered product design. This transition requires workshops to adapt in order to be more responsive, and better listening between brands and manufacturers in order to perpetuate collaborations.

A new way of working

The need to understand the different links in the production chain has become essential to the smooth running of a workshop, as has communication and short training courses to grasp each profession: "you have to give responsibility to the employees in a workshop, and that can't happen if you don't talk to them. You have to take the time to explain to them where the collection comes from, the brand's DNA, the quality grade..." explains Jean-Luc François.

For Jean-Luc François, rethinking working methods and environment has become crucial to meet the growing demand for Made in France and the challenges facing the sector. "I see the workshop of the future as a laboratory with different know-how platforms, a pooling of skills, agile workshop organization to be able to respond to smaller quantities. Of course, innovation must be at the heart of these professions. The government also has a role to play by reducing workshop taxes, improving hiring aids and encouraging public ordering."

The Jean-Luc François Association embodies a key player in the transmission and reinvention of artisanal savoir-faire within the fashion industry. Its commitment to training bears witness to its crucial role in creating a sustainable future for French fashion.

For more information: http://association-jeanlucfrancois.blogspot.com/