86 100
Fashion Jobs
STAND OUT FOR GOOD
Brand Rep (Sales Associate)
Permanent · ANN ARBOR
JCPENNEY
Asset Protection SC Manager
Permanent · CEDAR HILL
JCPENNEY
Beauty Field Manager-Bay Area
Permanent · DALLAS
JCPENNEY
Asset Protection Manager-San Antonio, TX
Permanent · SAN ANTONIO
RALPH LAUREN
Associate Manager
Permanent · HERSHEY
A & F
Abercrombie & Fitch - Assistant Manager, International Market Place
Permanent · HONOLULU
A & F
Hollister CO. - Brand Representative, Galleria at Tyler
Permanent · RIVERSIDE
FOOT LOCKER
Director of Safety (Supply Chain)
Permanent · CAMP HILL
LEE
PT Keyholder, Estero, FL
Permanent · ESTERO
URBN
Free People: Merchandise Planning Manager
Permanent · PHILADELPHIA
URBN
Free People: Senior Merchandise Planner
Permanent · PHILADELPHIA
KOHLS
Operations Supervisor - Weekend Overnights
Permanent · EDGEWOOD
KOHLS
Full-Time Loss Prevention Officer
Permanent · SOUTH BURLINGTON
ADIDAS
Key Account Manager: Athletic Footwear
Permanent · PITTSBURGH
KOHLS
Full-Time Loss Prevention Supervisor
Permanent · GOSHEN
KOHLS
Full-Time Loss Prevention Supervisor
Permanent · NAPLES
KOHLS
Shift Leader/Operations Manager - Weekend Night Shift
Permanent · PATASKALA
AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
Aerie - Merchandise Leader (Part-Time) - us
Permanent · POOLER
AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
ae - Merchandise Leader (Part-Time) - us
Permanent · MURFREESBORO
AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
Aerie - Merchandise Leader - us
Permanent · KAPOLEI
NAVY EXCHANGE
Buyer (Level i) - Beauty Care
Permanent · VIRGINIA BEACH
NAVY EXCHANGE
Buyer (Level i) - Pet
Permanent · VIRGINIA BEACH
By
Reuters
Published
Oct 2, 2009
Reading time
2 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Crisis shapes new generation at Paris fashion week

By
Reuters
Published
Oct 2, 2009

By Sophie Hardach

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Pared-down designs, fewer styles and a muted palette of white, beige and black displayed a sense of modesty at Paris fashion week on Thursday 1 October as a new generation of designers cut their teeth on tighter budgets.


Bruno Pieters spring-summer 2010 at Paris Fashion Week - Photo: Pixel Formula

Irish designer Sharon Wauchob dreamed up soft, feminine dresses with touches of lace and metallic detail, while Belgian Bruno Pieters added wafting headscarves to tight, flesh-coloured, black and white jersey dresses.

Hot pants, short belted jump suits and tapered trousers emerged as a trend for spring/summer 2010, with bold orange and blue prints at emerging Indian designer Manish Arora's show adding a rare splash of colour to the collections.

"Poverty stimulates creativity," Pieters told Reuters in a backstage interview. "Times of crisis are always interesting -- I had a limited budget, which meant fewer looks and patterns."

Designers in Paris, the world's fashion capital, have responded to the economic downturn by moving to smaller venues, scrapping fancy invites and cutting back on parties.

But there are also deeper changes: young designers no longer see Asian manufacturing and cost control as taboo, and show a down-to-earth realism when talking about price and quality.

"Over the past three to four years, more and more designers moved their diffusion lines to China. The crisis will accelerate this movement," said Anthony Keung, president of Hong-Kong based Fenix Group Holdings, in an interview before Wauchob's show.

Keung, who produces knitwear for the cheaper lines of Wauchob as well as Armani, Paul Smith and Max Mara, said beside the lower labour costs -- his workers earn $200 a month -- China was now also able to offer good quality. His high-end factories use machines and techniques imported from Europe.

He expects designers to keep their most expensive, prestige brands in Europe but shift the rest to Asia.

"If it's luxury, it has to be real luxury," Wauchob told Reuters backstage surrounded by black broderie anglaise and sparkling white gilets. "It's about value."

The absence from this season's schedule of Christian Lacroix, traditionally one of the biggest names at Paris fashion week, was a stark reminder of the industry's troubles.

Loss-making Lacroix is under administration and looking for a buyer, with the latest bid coming from a Gulf investor.

But some hope that the crisis will be an opportunity for new talent to make its mark.

"Before, magazines and fashion houses would systematically use the same well-known models and photographers," said Maud Lemoine, a model scout, in a joint interview with her business partner, Penelope Heim. "With the crisis, they will have to make space for younger photographers."

(Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)

© Thomson Reuters 2024 All rights reserved.