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Fashion Show Paris Les Nouveaux Createurs

For the last 7 years, L’Exception has been a proud champion for the French style scene. This year, we will be partnering with the tradeshow, ‘Les Nouveaux Créateurs’ – a showcase dedicated to tomorrow’s talent. To mark the success of the second edition, we sat down with the founder Mogany Puchancourt and Aubry Couffin brand development specialist, to talk about the future of avant-garde design.

Tell us how you came up with the idea behind ‘Les Nouveaux Créateurs’?

Mogany : I graduated with a degree in product design but spent most of my career as a print fashion photographer. I think that has a lot to do with why I moved into events management. I also used to work on the social aspects of fashion design as part of the fashion, arts and culture event la Casa Geração Vidigal in Rio – and the free school CASA 93 for aspiring artists aged 18-25 years old. The objective is to offer young adults an introduction to the social and professional world of fashion.
Equally, I wanted to create a project that offered more than just an atelier. With my experience in the world of young design, I was interested in creating a tradeshow exclusively for upcoming designers. An event that was open to professionals, the media and the general public. It was a format that didn’t exist and was really missing! As soon as you graduate, you’re on your own – with no idea about how the industry works on a practical level. Even 10 years after graduating, you can still find it a hard world to navigate. I realised that young designers need a support system, and our objective is to offer that ecosystem. We have established partnerships with key companies that focus on young talent (concept stores, festivals, schools and influencers). This format responds to the lack of evolution in the fashion industry. The tradeshow is open to the public and offers that initial contact between customer and designer – allowing people to buy exclusively and at reduced rates.
Aubry : The designers really like that interaction with customers. Some of our participants are already selling their products online, but they’ve never directly spoken with a client. It’s interesting for them to hear positive and negative feedback. It’s also an opportunity to meet other designers.

So Aubry, tell us about your background?

Aubry : Initially, I studied to be a chartered accountant. But, I had doubts during my degree. I was always passionate about fashion but didn’t think I had that creative flair. So, I decided to do a masters in Fashion Management. I was instantly interested in young design and I worked for brands like Six et Sept and Wanda Nylon. It was during this time that I started to understand the start-up world. After that, I worked for Lemaire for two years as a production manager. But, I still felt a pull towards grassroots talent and I now work as a prêt à porter and accessories development consultant – exclusively with young and aspiring designers.

Tell us how it works with your designers?

Aubry : We select the designers in June. After the selection process, we meet each designer and try to understand more about their project: who are they, where are they in regard to brand development, what they want to achieve etc. It’s very much a personal approach, and we have as many meetings as necessary to ensure everything has been covered. We also identify problem areas and organise workshops on precise troubleshooting topics. The objective is that they’re prepared for the tradeshow – but also after.
Mogany : We do as much as possible during – but after, too. The idea is to create a community; we have stayed in contact with all of the designers from last year’s tradeshow and we will with all of the brands from this year. We like to be able to share contacts, information and support them whenever they need it.

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Drones Paris Les Nouveaux Createurs First Edition

You’re also very committed to the social aspect...

Mogany: Yes the social aspect defines our selection process. We try to showcase an avant-garde range of alternative designers, that are very much offering something completely new – whether that’s aesthetic, technical or ethical. We want all of the designers to be very engaged in their brand vision.
Aubry: The more we meet with designers, the more we realise that lots of them are already active in some part of thoughtful fashion – it can be in regard to sourcing, upcycling or in-house production. They all have an approach to fashion design that respects the human, ecological and social aspects of design and is at the core of their collection.
For the first edition, we organised a roundtable discussion on responsible fashion with the queens of sustainable style – Isabelle Quéhé who created the Ethical Fashion Show, Hélène Sarfati-Leduc from French Bureau , Nadine Gonzales who founded Casa 93 , Sakina M’Sa who launched the concept store Front de Mode et Adèle Rinck of ECO TLC .

What do you want to achieve from this year’s tradeshow?

Mogany: There are a few. The first is to uncover new designers. This year, we have also extended our art and music programme to help increase the creative audience. Over the two and a half days, there are many showcases, performances and fashion shows. The second goal of the trade show is to support and promote new design. They are the core objectives of our project.
Aubry: It’s very much a multidisciplinary event. It is first and foremost a fashion event, but there is also lots of different artistic expression across both visual and auditory mediums.
Mogany: Yes, we’re seeing a lot more hybrid artists that don’t really fit in the conventional fashion designer box but also work in performance, video and press.

Tell us about the future of the tradeshow?

Mogany: The aim is to continue showcasing designers via our tradeshow. We are a non-profit association funded by 10 benefactors. The objective is to find financing (sponsorship, grants, sponsors) to continue developing into a more global scene. We’re really pleased to see more international participants in this year’s tradeshow – whereas last year was a selection of Francophone designers. We have a South-Korean pop-up store planned, as well as a showcase in partnership with the Arabian Institute of Fashion and Fashion Forward Dubai concerning Arabian design. We have lots of different things planned and there is no ceiling to this project. Our next step is to consider our global initiative and continue to welcome international designers and participants. Why not apply this tradeshow to different cultures and continents!

What do you think makes a brand successful? What are the golden rules?

Aubry: I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules, but it is easy to identify why a brand is successful or not. During our interview process, you can see designers with a clear idea about what they want – and that’s essential. But inversely, it can be hard to talk about their brand objectively – and see where they are positioned in the industry. Most of our designers are approaching the industry with a fresh, new and un-tested energy – having an innovative spirit in this antiquated sector is important..

Any advice for budding designers?

Aubry: The important thing is to know who you are and to be able to put that into words. It’s understandable that creatives want to take the opportunity to try different projects and directions, but that can be dangerous. The first collection you create represents your design DNA and allow people to understand who you are, and what they can expect from you. The desire to create should not be at the expense of the need to organize.
Mogany: Yes, there’s lots of creative energy when you start a brand. Many of the young designers we meet want to show their brand to the world – but sometimes it’s not quite ready. You’ve got to be prepared and understand how your brand fits into the wider market, learn your strengths and your directions – create some solid benchmarks. This allows you to know what you want and can do in relation to your skills, your personality, what already exists.
Aubry: We often notice that designers already have the concept that will be the essence of their brand and then work solely on that. Sometimes, talking to fellow designers, customers and professionals can help you to get external feedback and refine your original concept. You really have to welcome other points of view, it is an essential element in the construction of a project. Mogany: That’s one of the reasons for the show. We open it to everyone: media, professionals, the general public but also other designers. This allows the designer we showcase to discuss with potential business partners, customers and their peers, too.

HEAD TO 17 RUE COMMINES, 75003 PARIS FROM 15TH -16th SEPTEMBER TO DISCOVER THE LATEST DESIGNERS AND EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCES AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGNER SHOWCASE LES NOUVEAUX CREATEURS !