Independent French fashion labels use coronavirus lockdown to rethink their offerings and prepare for a new world of conscious shopping

With France under lockdown, designers in Paris such as Y/Project’s Glenn Martens are finding ways to continue working while thinking about what comes next

These designers expect shoppers to behave differently post-coronavirus, and say this will force brands to reinvent themselves and be more sustainable

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With France under lockdown, Parisian fashion designers are finding ways to continue working while thinking about what comes next. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00pm, 11 Apr 2020Updated: 12:24pm, 12 Apr 2020

The writing had been on the wall since Paris Fashion Week in late February. As the coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic and cases in Italy rose, it seemed likely that France would take drastic action in a bid to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Still, between the closure of non-essential businesses on the evening of March 14 and French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of a lockdown starting on March 17 at noon, there wasn’t much time for Paris-based designers to make plans.

“Our stores closed on Saturday evening at the usual time and haven’t reopened since,” said Officine Générale founder Pierre Mahéo. lingerie designer Yasmine Eslami, who shut her store located near the Louvre, said: “I don’t think I’ve fully realised what happened. On that Monday, I went back to the office and grabbed my things so I could continue working.”

An autumn/winter 2020 look by Officine Générale.

But it wasn’t just a case of closing down retail locations and offices, or switching to e-commerce.

In many cases, designers had snap personal decisions to make, whether it was to shelter in place for those who were abroad when the lockdown was announced; to join or repatriate family members; or even to go in self-quarantine as a team and keep working, as have the team of French sneaker label Amrose, led by siblings Océane and Victor Castanet.

France closed non-essential businesses on March 14. Photo: Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg