De(ux) Mains du Luxe: Apparel at the heart of luxury
At the fifth edition of De(ux) Mains du Luxe, the Comité Colbert invited schoolchildren and the general public to discover the sector's indissociable savoir-faire, particularly that of the apparel industry, and how to join companies that are recruiting.
Since its reopening in June, the Grand Palais has been attracting the general public with exhibitions such as "From the Heart to the Hand: Dolce & Gabbana". But from October 2 to 5, it was an event like no other that drew visitors... The Comité Colbert, the association of French luxury homes, had in fact chosen this cultural institution, now one of its members, to organize the fifth edition of "De(ux) Mains du Luxe".
Since the initiative's inception, its vocation has been the same: to raise awareness among young and old alike of the many manual professions in the luxury sector, through lively demonstrations of savoir-faire, and to inspire vocations by enabling visitors to test their own agility. But also to raise awareness of the avenues to follow (training, apprenticeships, retraining) to join Homes that are recruiting.
An XXL edition
After four editions bringing together over 35,000 visitors in Paris and the regions, the Comité Colbert has struck a major blow with an XXL version featuring 2,500 m2 of immersive exhibition space, in a setting inspired by an enchanted forest.
"Never before have so many Luxury houses been brought together in the same exhibition to defend the professions of the hand", enthused the Committee. Only 23 in 2022, by 2025 there will be 32 Homes, among the 98 French member companies of the association operating in various sectors (fashion and haute couture, tableware, leather and leather goods, decoration and design, gastronomy and hospitality, perfumes and cosmetics). On the training side, some twenty schools and other players were on hand in 2025, compared with six establishments at the inaugural edition.
Almost 40,000 visitors
On the visitor side, 9,000 middle and high school students (compared to 4,000 young people in 2022) turned out for the October 2 and 3 school-only days. The evening of October 3 and the days of October 4 and 5, which were open to the general public with registration, attracted almost 30,000 visitors. For while the event primarily targeted young people in the orientation phase and adults undergoing retraining, it was also intended to be open to the "general public curious to discover what goes on behind the scenes of luxury".
Aside from the concrete demonstrations by the Home brands, a program of 27 conferences, debates and other masterclasses, designed in partnership with Le Monde, also helped to capture attention. Designers, executives, journalists and luxury and art of living specialists discussed the challenges facing the sector and the behind-the-scenes stories of the greatest luxury Houses. Several topics related to the garment making and couture sector, such as the masterclass "An Haute Couture dress under the magnifying glass", featuring Antoine Gagey, Managing Director and Fanny Thinselin, Première d'Atelier Haute Couture at Jean Paul Gaultier.
Fashion and Haute Couture in the spotlight
Among the specialties structuring the show, Fashion and Haute Couture were well represented with Celine, Chanel and le19M, Christian Dior Couture, Hermès and Jean Paul Gaultier. Demonstrations offered by their sewing or embroidery artisans encouraged many visitors to step into "the skin of a luxury artisan."
On the stand of the 19M Chanel (grouping together near Paris twelve professions including eleven classified as "métiers d'art" from Paraffection, a subsidiary of the iconic Home), one could admire the embroidery craftswomen of Atelier Montex. From among its 70 employees, trios took it in turns to demonstrate how to embroider, "in 3D", flowers ready to take flight. Attracted by the magical name of "Chanel", many interested parties flocked to the stand to imitate these gestures, giving birth to samples of pure beauty. Founded in 1949 in Paris, and taken over in 2011 by Paraffection, Montex is renowned for its creativity and "ability to push boundaries", a spokeswoman for the group explained.
Suscitating lasting vocations
For the Home brands, in addition to the pleasure of sharing their passion and highlighting the value of these hands that guarantee the excellence of French manufacturing, the stakes involved in the event are crucial. It's about convincing people of the beauty of their professions and inspiring lasting vocations.
All of us have in mind the general statistics on employees in the art professions, analogous within the Fashion Clothing sector. According to the latest OPCO2i study, a quarter of employees working in art professions are aged 55 and over! And 60% of new professionals are adults undergoing retraining. It is therefore urgent for luxury houses and workshops in the Clothing sector to be able to replace employees who will be retiring, and to pass on their savoir-faire, adapted to current changes (consumer trends, digitalization, ecological transition...), to young people.
Even if, according to Pôle Emploi, young working people will change jobs on average 13 to 15 times during their lives, it can be virtuous to make them want to choose a profession of excellence. A lasting job where they'll find meaning and constantly improve.
The Savoir pour Faire campaign at the heart of the Show
Partner since the very beginning of De(ux) Mains du Luxe, the campagne Savoir pour Faire once again occupied a place of choice at this fifth edition, rubbing shoulders with training players.
Supported by the Comité Stratégique de Filière Mode & Luxe and OPCO 2i, this national campaign promotes the exceptional technical professions, training and savoir-faire of the French creative industries, including Couture and Apparel. Since its launch in 2019, it has reached over 30.9 million people and federated a community of 35,000 enthusiasts. Among its communication levers (videos, podcasts broadcast on Youtube and social networks), its website savoirpourfaire.fr offers testimonials, training paths, events and other job offers.
"We were able to see during the De(ux) Mains du Luxe that our platform really met needs, explains Agnès Etame Yescot, coordinator of the Savoir pour Faire campaign. The feedback we got at the Show from schoolchildren, but also from teachers and guidance counselors on the first two days of the event, was very enthusiastic. They were delighted to have a website and a career guidance guide listing the possibilities of professions they weren't always familiar with. During the show, it was like being in an enchanted bubble, with the Homes sharing their savoir-faire, and visitors watching and testing them. On our side, we gave them hope by showing them that these professions were accessible to them, and with which schools. We opened up the realms of possibility to them, in a sector that's recruiting. It's a very positive thing".
The clothing industry represented
The Clothing sector was represented on the Savoir pour Faire stand by the heads of the Maison des Savoir-Faire et de la Création (MSFC) - a member of the campaign's working group - who came to answer a number of questions. This was an opportunity to emphasize the importance of training and recruitment in the fashion industry, while also distributing Savoir pour Faire leaflets and the Fashion & Luxury industry orientation guide published by the campaign. Audrey Geschwind, founder and director of the Atelier 7474 referenced on the MSFC platform, was also on hand to talk about her remarkable career path in the garment making professions and answer visitors' questions.
Schools of excellence
On the training side, three schools of excellence showcased a sample of the vast educational provision preparing students for professions in Clothing and Sewing. While the Lycée public Turquetil was more interested in demonstrating the leatherwork it prepares students for via a Bac Pro, the latter also includes in its curriculum a CAP Métiers de la mode-vêtement flou / soft dressmaking and a Bac Pro Métiers de la Mode-vêtement. The unmissable Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), which offers the widest range of fashion and luxury training courses in France, from CAP to Master's degree and Brevet professionnel, was also in attendance.
Finally, the Institut des Métiers d'Excellence (IME), created in 2014 by LVMH presented, in the Fashion sector, its training courses (CAP Métiers de la Mode- vêtement Flou ou Tailoring and Master Design Mode et Industries Créatives) deployed with its partner establishments (IFM, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3, Duperré Paris). Taking all sectors together (not just fashion...), it has already trained over 3,300 apprentices, young people or people undergoing retraining, benefiting from "teaching excellence", work experience and Master Classes in one of the 49 LVMH Homes, partners of the IME. "We've been dealing with a lot of very young schoolchildren, in sixth form and even more so in ninth form, who are very well prepared. Manual professions appeal to them, and we had some very good exchanges", explained Charlotte Arnoux, head of IME France, Switzerland and Spain.
Needed improvements
At the inaugural De(ux) Mains du Luxe conference, Bénédicte Épinay (Comité Colbert) admitted that "the training courses currently in existence in France" probably weren't all yet "insertive enough", hence the need to "bring companies even closer to young people". This observation is shared by Brigitte Flamand, general inspector for design professions in art and fashion. In fact, art professions training courses are currently undergoing a complete overhaul to bring them more into line with the needs of the field. And according to the representative of the French Ministry of Education, "De(ux)Mains du Luxe" plays "an accelerating role" and supports the transformation of art professions, by "opening up new perspectives for young people". Counting on companies to take on young learners as interns and then recruit them, she stressed that "in an uncertain and complex world", this was "one of the finest gifts" to offer them.
