With Time, Comes Change

French fashion houses pass the torch…or maybe just share it.

Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, photo Sebastien Kim for Madame Figaro

The fashion industry, like many other industries soaked in the wave of cultural intertwining, is becoming more and more diverse as the seasons come and go. Paris, more so then any other ‘fashion’ capital of the world has been at the scrutiny of many asking why the creative directors of big French fashion houses are not even French? The answer to this question is plain and simple. It is not the fact that the French houses are full of foreign designers, (Olivier Rouseting, French creative director of Balmain was appointed last April at the ripe age of 26), it is the fact that within an international industry constantly weaving in and out of cultures, it is now no longer a state of domestic designers fronting domestic houses, but the world as a whole working together to form one unified entity.

France is one of the epicenters of style and as many may argue, the birthplace of fashion. In the past, Paris has been home to designers such as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent and today, joined with names like Jean Paul Gautier, Chirstina Lacroix and Agnes Trouble. These groups of passionate designers have devoted themselves to the world of fashion and have not only changed the way we look France’s elegance and sophistication, but how worldly trends throughout the ages are constructed.

       As fashion moves forward, this once traditional ‘mecca’ of French designers has turned into a colorful slew of creatives from not only France, but from all over the world. Italian creative director Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy and American, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, to name some of the biggest, have proven that French high fashion houses are now a melting pot of minds. When asked her opinion on the backgrounds of most creative directors in Paris, emerging designer Caley Thompson replied, “..as a new designer, and foreigner myself, I find it inspiring that fashion as a whole has diversified from being a large majority of French CD’s, to now, fresh faces and ideas from all over.”

       Today, a large number of designers are looking to create and express themselves through fashion, not only at home, but across the globe. Foreigners come to Paris and combine different cultures and transfer new blood in French houses. The fact that most French houses are now full of foreigners is not because the French are being replaced or they no longer possess the skills worthy of running a successful brand, it’s the sheer amount of diversity filling the walls of the cities. Thomas Langley, assistant stylist and native Parisien told us, “…when I go into the office each morning and look at the faces of my co-workers, I literally see a reflection of the world, not just of France…” We must accept the fact that as a world we are growing and expanding, meshing cultures more and more each day. Fashion, music and art in general are always at the forefront of innovation and innovation is always coupled with diversity. 

Chris Fireoved