Where do you look for new ideas or voices in fashion?
Anything can be a source of inspiration: a trip, an image, an object, a show, especially if it's not directly linked to fashion. But in the end it's often a pretext for organising what I already have inside me, which comes from my memories, my relationship with femininity. When it comes to keeping abreast of what's happening in fashion, new designers etc, of course social media has become indispensable, but I still like to look at fashion in magazines, and especially at the street. In Paris, we're lucky enough to have creative and effervescent neighbourhoods that allow us to feel the zeitgeist.
In which ways might fashion creativity effectively drive growth in the industry?
Creativity is the driving force that generates novelty in fashion and arouses desire; hence consumption, hence growth. And in today's fast-moving societies, novelty is essential. But today, given the environmental situation, we really need to find ways of creating new things that have the least possible impact on the environment, the least impact in terms of carbon emissions, but also plastic and chemical pollution, etc. This can be seen as limiting creativity, and that's not always easy, but I see managers or even restrictions as stimulating creativity.
How essential is heritage and/or a distinctive identity in contributing to a maison’s success?
In a context where there are so many proposals, so many new things and so much stimulation, and where people can feel a little lost, having a strong identity helps you to be recognisable and to stand out from the crowd in the long term. It allows you to forge strong links with your customers and fans. But the key to success is to be able to balance this strong identity, which can lead you to tread water, with the ability to create new things and keep up with the times.
What surprises you about the industry in 2025?
There are a lot of things that surprise me in 2025, such as the fact that there are new designers and new brands every season, even though there is sometimes a feeling of saturation. I'm also surprised by the weight of money in this industry and how it has created behemoths with enormous economic clout that don't leave much room for small start-ups.
There are some things I regret, like the fact that we're losing the human, artisanal aspect of clothes-making, and also that real journalists and commentators, capable of analysing and criticising fashion, are so few and far between and are less listened to in favour of the slightly overpopular flow of social media...
Who or what is generating the greatest influence in fashion today?
I’d say celebrities and social networks, but I'm surprised to see that success in fashion can also come from word of mouth or from being appreciated by a small circle of connoisseurs. And I think that in the future, the ability for a brand or a designer to create direct links with these customers will become increasingly important.
How do you think your Maison can spark and sustain desire with so much else going on in the world?
Fashion, when it produces beauty and emotion, is a kind of refuge in this worrying world, a place where we can forget all the threats and appreciate beauty. But fashion is also a way of commenting on what's going on in the world, of taking a stand; and here, too, it creates support and desire.
There seems to be more overlap between fashion/entertainment and fashion/sports than ever. Thoughts?
I don't think it's all that new - fashion has been linked to entertainment for centuries, and to modern sports since they first appeared in the 19th century. What's new is that it's much more visible, particularly because of social networks, and that it's become a real economy with a lot of money at stake... which can kill the spontaneity and authenticity of the link between an artist or a sportsperson and a designer or a brand.
This interview has been lightly edited.
