Paris is the best venue for a festival of up-and-coming French brands. This time, not so. Maisons de Mode, a fashion incubator, chose Lille near the Belgian border to host the event last weekend. It shined a spotlight upon young and emerging fashion brands.
The 26 participating designers showcased their collections in Lille, a charming and picturesque city with its vibrant retail scene, modern bars, restaurants, cafes and cafes and a variety of French delicatessens. The association includes Antwerp, Flanders DC, Berlin (German Fashion Council), Riga (Baltic Fashion Federation), Skopje (Fashion Week Ende Skopje), Lisbon (Moda Lisboa) and Lille/Roubaix (Maisons de Mode). Here’s a list with five labels you should be on the lookout for at the event.
Faulhaber
Melanie Faulhaber’s Berlin bag and accessory label produces leather goods in black and cognac. All bags are made in strict conformity with EU environmental guidelines. The leather is vegetable-tanned. The label collaborates with a workshop located in southern Germany that has been in the family for over two hundred years. According to FashionUnited, Faulhaber currently sells her bags mainly through direct sales to market where she can speak directly with customers and explain her brand. She stated, “We want products that last forever. Something you can pass on. This is my dream.”
Tanja Christiani
Tanja Christiani, second German participant in the event, is a designer who does not use leather, silk or wool. Tanja Christiani’s black, khaki, and pastel-coloured gowns are made from cotton and viscose with a satin-like halyard or silk. She said, “I am a vegan so it was only natural for me to use that material in my collection.” Her fashion is currently sold in two Berlin concept stores and in her studio. She is also looking for additional sales outlets in Germany for her casual feminine collection with a Scandinavian minimalist design.
Chlore
Chlore, a designer duo from Roubaix in France, offers luxurious high-performance swimwear. These simple, but elegant pieces can be found in Le Bon Marche and in a Roubaix specialist shop. During a talk to address buyers, the brand that was launched in 2018 was highlighted as an example of a young brand that ticks all the boxes.
Gamme Blanche
Marine Penet, a former photo stylist, founded Gamme Blanche in 2016. She designs minimalistic and graphic jewellery in Lille. She is inspired by architecture and nature. The pieces are made of finely gilded gold or gilded sterling silver and are handcrafted by jewelry artisans in Jaipur (India) who have a long tradition of goldsmithing. Marine is committed to the ethical values of its brand. It ensures that no children work in its workshops, and that every craftsman gets a proper salary and one off each week. Marine’s use of recyclable and natural packaging reduces CO2 emissions.
Urban Circus
Urban Circus is a brand that specialises in high visibility clothing. The Federal Statistical Office has some alarming statistics about bicycle accidents. Last year, 445 cyclists were killed in traffic, and 89,000 cyclists were injured in crashes. The label specializes in outerwear and reflective jackets to improve safety for inner-city cyclists. It was difficult to attach the labels’ prints (e.g. orange slices, bananas, or palm leaves) to the reflective material. The company was able to get the required quantities by working with a delivery company. The jackets will have smarter features.
