Caroline Lefrere of Agence Hermana: “It is almost impossible to produce a fashion show for under 50,000 euros”

Paris - Founded one and a half years ago, Agence Hermana specialises in scenography and the production of fashion shows and music events. On the eve of Paris Fashion Week September 2025, FashionUnited interviewed its founder, Caroline Lefrere, about her work.

What types of fashion brands do you collaborate with?

Caroline Lefrere: I work with young brands like SKFK, Ester Manas, Arturo Obegero and Vincent Pressiat, as well as with established houses such as Saint-Laurent.

What does your job involve?

My job is to create a universe that reflects a seasonal collection. Once I have agreed with the brand on the creative aspects and scenography, I manage all aspects of the show production. This includes finding a venue for the show; renting sound and lighting equipment; entrance security; and backstage management. I make sure rehearsals run smoothly and I cue the models during the show.

Five to six people collaborate on a freelance basis. For the set-up, the team can grow to around 50 people, or even more.

As a service provider, do you manage partnerships?

No, partnerships are the responsibility of press agencies or the in-house teams. The same goes for hair and make-up.

What is the creative part of your job?

We start with a moodboard or reference image that serves as the collection's inspiration, from which we develop proposals. Our role is to visually interpret everything that will be highlighted during the show.

For the Salon de la Lingerie show (during the Paris' lingerie fair, ed.), we had to stretch thousands of threads over a monumental seven-metre-high installation. There was a whole engineering dimension to it, working with technicians on how to secure them.

There is often talk about the cost of shows, what is the reality and how is the budget allocated?

It is almost impossible to produce a show for under 50,000 euros. Some shows, however, cost millions. The model line-up can account for a large part of the budget, especially as castings are regulated. It is difficult, for example, to do street castings without going through agencies. I collaborate with casting directors, but most of the time, brands like to stick with the person they are used to working with.

Venue hire, technical equipment and other production elements take up a large part of the budget. These costs are flexible depending on the chosen location and the project. Some venues speak for themselves. For others, you have to build everything from scratch.

Typically, for a Weinssanto show, Camille Lellouche sang live. This requires a different set-up than a simple soundtrack.

I generally work on events that cost between 50,000 and 600,000 euros.

What is the rate for a model (excluding stars)?

It all depends on the contract negotiated for image rights, meaning the ability to use them on social media or the brand's website. Prices range from 800 to 2,000 euros for a day's show.

What can you tell us about the financial burden of Parisian venue hire for young designers?

There is the cost of Parisian venues, but more importantly, the location within Paris. Young brands are under pressure to present in the 'golden triangle' (in the 8th arrondissement, bounded by the Champs-Élysées, Avenue Montaigne, and Avenue George V, ed.). If they choose cheaper but slightly out-of-the-way venues, fewer buyers and press attend because they have little time to travel from one show to another. The problem, therefore, is having to stay not only in an expensive city, but in the most expensive areas of that city.

Venues have a standard price and are always a little more expensive during fashion week. They generally range from 4,000 or 5,000 euros to 20,000 euros.

Which districts are favoured for organising an event during Paris Fashion Week?

For the presentation of menswear collections, the key venues are mostly in the Marais. For womenswear collections, it is mainly around the Palais de Tokyo, in the 7th and 8th arrondissements, and some in the 16th, 1st and 2nd.

However, young brands are often dictated by the bigger brands scheduled before or after them in the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) calendar. I remember working with Ester Manas. We were looking for a venue not too far from the Champ de Mars because her show was scheduled just before Saint-Laurent, which was showing at the Trocadéro. We ended up presenting at the Maison de la Chimie (Paris 7th). Ester Manas wanted to ensure that guests had time to get from one show to the next.

What about the rates for the technical side?

They climb quickly. As soon as you need to mobilise stage managers, supervisors or other staff paid by the day, the human cost rises rapidly. With long working hours—sometimes two consecutive days or very long days for the shows—the costs add up. The human element ends up far exceeding the cost of the equipment.

In practice, I draw up very detailed quotes so that the client understands exactly where their budget is going, what can be reduced and with what consequences. For example, for backstage equipment, I specify the exact number of mirrors for the make-up artists; the amount of lighting; sound; security; and so on. This allows the client to anticipate the impact of any potential cuts, whether in equipment or time.

The objective is always to find suitable solutions, especially as I work a lot with young designers. My goal is to be able to collaborate with them again six months later, not to leave them in debt for a year.

Why use a security service?

There is security at the entrance to assist the press office and welcome guests. There is also security related to fire risks. If we use smoke, we have to switch off certain fire alarms and are required to hire security guards. The same applies if we have to close a fire exit.

What is your best memory of show production?

I like to be close to the designers and see them evolve. This is the case with Arturo Obegero. I started working with him when he was practically fresh out of school.

And the worst?

One tends to try and forget the worst memories. I think it is the last-minute requests. Brands that call us on a Friday saying: “Actually, on Wednesday, we are doing a huge event, everything needs to be done”.

At the same time, making things that may seem impossible possible, finding solutions and giving the impression that it was not as difficult as it was, is part of our mission.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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