Savoir-faire as a new benchmark! VALUING CRAFTS – A SAVOIR-FAIRE MANIFESTO

Fashion is undergoing a crisis of values and identity.

The industry is being shaken as never before, by economic, ecological and energy crises, as well as by a questioning of meaning and values.

Luxury goods are experiencing their first slowdown, with new players disrupting concepts of price and quality. Knowledge of materials and manufacturing techniques has declined. Environmental issues must be recognized and integrated into business practices. Consumers are looking for pleasure, solutions and savings.

In this context, craft traditions are a reminder of what is at the heart of fashion. They set a new benchmark.

They have survived thanks to passionate craftsmen, artisans, artists and manufacturers, generation after generation. They have been preserved and REthought, offering us a REFRESH, a possible reset of the system. Today, artisans are politically aware, acting as both historical witnesses and innovators. They are engaged in the circular economy and explore new registers of creative expression. They are active on social media, defining new lifestyles and proposing new choices.

They have integrated digital technologies—laser, 3D printing, collaborative robotics, augmented reality, AI—into their design and manufacturing processes, but they have also driven the search for regenerative biological resources, smart circularity, and alternative manufacturing processes.

They inspire us to REcompose our relationship with all living things, by seeking out eco-friendly materials and REappreciating a long-term approach to time. They design for longevity, refocusing our attention on the here and now, the tangible, the desire for pleasure.

They seek out other dimensions and smaller scales. They adapt, rationalize and invent solutions for tomorrow with a lab-like attitude. In a collective spirit, they REbuild interpersonal connections, promote co-creation and collaborative approaches, share materials, creative resources and manufacturing processes.

They REclaim their textile heritage and draw on local traditions, REnewing aesthetics, forms and gestures. They REgenerate cultural ecosystems.

As carriers of meaning and culture, they REinvent themselves for the future. They are a source of inspiration, energy and value for the fashion industry.

That is why we have decided to make crafts and artisans the central theme of the February 2025 edition. And of all future February editions.

This theme will be articulated as both historical and forward-looking, as a cultural heritage and a living force, of both economic and priceless value, innovative and traditional. We will open borders and dialogues and mix generations.

For the first time, the Forum will host Maison d'Exceptions exhibitors, and craftsmanship will be a key theme in every conference. Every aspect of savoir-faire will be discussed and shared, with experts, institutions, exhibitors, federations, schools, artists and craftspeople.

We want them to be present because they are our future!