Fashion in Provence: A craft at risk, a future to build

If French fashion is a showcase of creativity and craftsmanship, it is not immune to the contemporary fractures affecting the textile industry. Between the imperative of "Made in France," the dwindling availability of technical skills, and the isolation of industry players, the South Region (Région Sud) exemplifies the contradictions of a sector caught between the desire to relocalize and economic constraints.

It is within this in-between space that Jocelyn Meire, founder of Fask and Fask Academy, and president of Mode in Sud, seeks to formulate a collective response. He is acutely aware of the structural challenges and is committed to preserving a threatened heritage.

A fragmented ecosystem, a craft in peril

The fashion industry in the south of France is teeming with talent, but it remains dispersed. Artisans, independent designers, brands, and manufacturing workshops operate in geographic proximity, yet this closeness alone is not enough to structure a coherent industry landscape. Many skilled individuals remain invisible to institutional networks.

"In this industry, many artisans and newly arrived talents in France start by helping a friend or family member before gradually formalizing their business. What begins as a simple favor sometimes grows into a full-fledged workshop. However, these structures often remain invisible to institutional circuits, not due to a lack of transparency, but because administrative complexity poses a significant barrier," explains Jocelyn Meire.

The lack of bridges between these different actors hinders the transmission of knowledge and worsens job insecurity in technical professions. If expertise is no longer passed down, it disappears. Jocelyn Meire is convinced, "Seeing many garment worker jobs disappear in France since the 1990s is one thing; but having none at all and doing nothing to stop this trend condemns an entire sector." His warning is all the more urgent given that demand for local production has never been higher.

The "Made in France" imperative: between ideal and impossibility

More than just a trend, the desire to produce in France is a strong aspiration for 95 percent of the 650 companies surveyed by Mode in Sud. Yet, the gap between this ambition and its realization remains vast.

Producing a hundred shirts, a few dozen limited-series pieces, or placing an order with a French workshop—these efforts, in the absence of viable solutions, often remain wishful thinking. Costs, the rigidity of production circuits, and the difficulty of finding qualified labor hinder a movement that is nonetheless supported by genuine demand. "Made in France" is less an obvious choice than a challenge—less an immediate solution than a long-term goal.

"Every designer aspires to Made in France. Every single one. Not just occasionally, but systematically, from the moment they join Fask. The 2020 crisis marked a turning point, sparking deep reflection on production methods. This demand does not come solely from the designers themselves; it is driven by consumer expectations," says Jocelyn Meire.

However, the industry, as it stands, lacks the resources to meet this demand. The paradox is striking: brands want to produce in France under pressure from their customers, yet the industry struggles to keep up.

To bridge this gap, Fask Academy connects entrepreneurs with students in training. This allows brands to produce in small series without refusing orders while giving students hands-on experience. This dynamic extends even to specialized trades, such as embroidery. The school founded by Jocelyn Meire offers a CAP diploma in "Arts of Embroidery" in Marseille, preventing young talents from having to move 300 kilometers away to Saint-Étienne or even Caen, a 10 hour drive. "It's not a high-volume sector, but garment embellishment, even outside Haute Couture, is essential," he insists. "If tomorrow there are no more embroiderers in France, a part of our heritage collapses."

The importance of networking: a matter of survival

In an industry where isolation often leads to giving up, strong connections between players determine their ability to thrive. Far from the romantic image of the solitary designer, fashion is first and foremost an industry of interconnections, where networking unlocks opportunities.

A network is more than just contacts: "It's what allows you to find a solution, even when everything seems to be falling apart," says Meire. "It's the person who knows the workshop that can produce in an emergency, the supplier who makes a project viable, the contact who knows exactly whom to call when a shipment is stuck in customs two days before an event." It also enables sourcing alternatives when local production becomes impossible.

This phenomenon is even more pronounced in the South, where players, often isolated, must rely on these connections to overcome obstacles. While interactions may be easy, concrete actions are much harder to implement. In this context, Fask does not merely bring people together—it rebuilds connections where they had disappeared, restoring the fluidity the ecosystem lacked.

Training to avoid disappearance

The "Made in France" debate reveals a critical issue often overlooked in public discourse: a severe shortage of technical skills. The industry does not lack designers; it suffers from a deficit of technicians and manufacturing experts, warns Jocelyn Meire.

In this context, training goes beyond academics—it is an economic and cultural necessity. This philosophy guided the creation of Fask Academy, a school that rejects theoretical isolation in favor of immersive learning, closely aligned with market realities. Here, students do not just acquire skills—they practice them in real conditions, facing the expectations of brands and the constraints of production.

Jocelyn Meire emphasizes that in the fashion industry, some seemingly simple tasks can never be fully automated. Sewing buttons, for example, requires a precision touch that is a true craft. But technical mastery alone is not enough—it must be accompanied by speed and efficiency. "Productivity is the backbone of the industry, for all of us," he stresses.

Far more than just a stepping stone, this approach reflects a deep conviction: only by directly involving new generations in production during their training can we prevent the irreversible loss of an already fragile skill set.

A future to shape

The fashion industry in the south of France—and in the whole country —is at a crossroads. Between the desire for relocalization and structural constraints, between preserving craftsmanship and meeting economic demands, the decisions made today will shape the sector's future.

History has shown that craftsmanship does not vanish overnight—it fades when it ceases to be transmitted, when there are no spaces for it to thrive, when it lacks the resources to endure.

Will today's awareness be followed by concrete action? Or will French fashion, once again, find itself powerless to prevent what it allows to disappear?

More than ever, this industry needs networking tools and structures capable of breaking down silos and reshaping traditional roles. "A jeweler has just as much to gain from exchanging ideas with a textile designer as an artisan does with a distributor," observes Meire. Before being artists, these professionals are entrepreneurs, facing the same challenges: supplier access, distribution structuring, visibility.

"An Excel spreadsheet doesn’t always tell the right story," Meire reminds us. In a region where industry players are less concentrated, networking is not just about compiling lists—it’s about providing real support. In Marseille, centralization facilitates synergies, but what about an entrepreneur based in Gap? Building bridges also means ensuring that every voice is heard and that grassroots concerns reach decision-makers.

"Yes, but practically, what’s the point?" some may ask. It’s about bringing these issues to metropolitan areas, chambers of commerce, and local authorities. It’s about strengthening the position of fashion industry players in broader industrial and creative policies.

Networking is more than just gathering people—it’s about enabling the right information to flow, opportunities to emerge, and projects to develop on solid foundations.

It’s no longer enough to just acknowledge the situation; it’s time to act. Because tomorrow, it will be too late to save what we failed to protect today. This is the ambition of Fask and its associated union, Mode in Sud.