IFM Alumni's meetings expand with fashion forum, addressing industry issues in Faverolles

The Faverolles Meetings, organised by IFM Alumni at the Domaine des Oseraies, in Eure-et-Loir, reached a new milestone on Saturday September 13, 2025 by hosting the Fashion Forum.

Until now, the Faverolles Meetings, held at the Domaine des Oseraies, brought together the alumni network of the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM Alumni). By proposing to hold the Fashion Forum at the same time, they attracted a wider audience of fashion professionals.

On Saturday September 13, 2025, the Domaine des Oseraies took on a special dimension with 500 guests. "We suggested to the Fédération Française du Prêt-À-Porter and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to organise the Fashion Forum during the alumni reunion," explained president Catherine Jacquet to FashionUnited. "They immediately agreed."

In fact, and for the first time, these meetings received financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Défi and BPI (French Touch). "We are not here to be exclusive," declared Pascal Morand (FHCM) in his opening remarks, who led the first conference.

This conference brought together young designer brands: Jeanne Friot, 3 Paradis, Alain Paul and Germanier. Each of them recounted their journey and positioned themselves on the fashion chessboard.

Emerging in a changing world

For Emeric Tchatchoua (3 Paradis), fashion is destined to attract a new generation. This is an increasingly younger audience, looking for brands that match their own values. "In this respect, we are influencers," he explained.

For Kevin Germanier, "fashion should be light, fun and not take itself too seriously". Finally, Jeanne Friot reiterated the importance of her political message in her creations.

A short documentary about Didier Grumbach followed this conference. As a reminder, Grumbach was president of the Fédération de la Couture. His testimony about his experiences at the clothing manufacturer Mendes, with Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé, or Mugler, was undoubtedly the most touching moment of this meeting. This documentary deserves a sequel.

From China to the USA, an economic climate that does not serve the interests of French fashion

After a lunch break and a lyrical music performance by Jeanne Croussaud, the guests attended a conference given by François Chimits, from the Institut Montaigne (a French think tank).

Chimits discussed the prospects of the Chinese market in the Xi Jinping era (economic crisis, real estate crisis, youth unemployment). "It would seem that the Chinese government is satisfied with the current dynamic, wishes to invest in strategic sectors that generate revenue and bring young people into line with a strong China."

"In this context, what about ultra-fast fashion?" asked Pierre-François Le Louet, the originator of this meeting and conference moderator. "These platforms lower costs and bring foreign currency into the country," Chimits replied. "This suits the Chinese government."

According to Chimits, the US is behaving less and less like an ally and is confronting Europe with differing values (legal, respect for the media, etc.).

"The 15 percent customs duties are a humiliation, but we have no choice, because the United States provides us with its military capacity, our digital apparatus and energy security," he explained. "In this international context, Europe is sinking into inertia, budget margins are reduced and the outlook is difficult."

Managing a fashion brand in a difficult geopolitical situation

The last conference allowed Olivier Bron, chief executive officer of Bloomingdale's, a subsidiary of Macy's, Inc. (40 department stores and 16 outlets in the US, one-third of online business, four billion dollars in revenue), to explain why American department stores are going through a difficult period.

"There is a disconnect between the vision of the brands and the department stores, which remain focused on their model. This is leading to a decline in traffic in favour of the development of own-brand stores. Added to this is a shift in consumption towards digital, declining productivity per square foot, an overabundance of department stores and, ultimately, a less than optimal customer experience."

To turn things around, Bloomingdale's has embarked on a new strategy. This consists of putting the experience back at the heart of its concerns, renovating the store and engaging in better partnerships with brands.

Delphine Bellini (Schiaparelli), Myriam Serrano (Alaïa) and Isabelle Allouch (Sandro) then discussed their own career paths within the brands. As did Emmanuel Perrotin for the Galerie Perrotin.

The day, which included an embroidery workshop (Lesage) and a visit to the studio of Daria Kolstova (artist in residence), ended with a champagne reception (Ruinard).

*About the Domaine des Oseraies

The Domaine des Oseraies was founded by Didier Grumbach. He built the collection of contemporary art and design that is exhibited there. This place was conceived as early as 1988 as a space for meetings and learning, combining fashion, contemporary art, training, local audiences, students and professionals. The collection comprises around 300 works (paintings, sculptures, photographs), distributed throughout the houses and the park. Since 2022, the Domaine has been organising artist residencies for visual and photographic practices. The site is also used to host seminars, workshops and training courses, particularly in connection with the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) and its alumni.

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