SPHERE: Support policy for emerging brands of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode

Since 2019, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) has established SPHERE: Emerging Brands Initiative to structure, coordinate and consolidate its actions to support young Houses in their development and growth. The aim is to identify the most relevant and useful mechanisms for each brand. For these actions, the FHCM relies on a network of partners who share and support its approach: first and foremost DEFI and L'Oréal Paris (official partners) as well as Première Vision, IFM, BPI France, Le New Black, Grand Shooting, Fabernovel, RSM, Stellae International, Zedonk, Tagwalk, Heuritech. In each area of expertise The FHCM seeks to work with leading players of each sector to support its Houses in the most effective way. Finally, to answer the current economical context caused by the health crisis, the FHCM has set up a support fund in addition to the financial aid paid for many years thanks to DEFI. The FHCM accompanies a total of about 80 Emerging Brands worldwide; 60 of them are present in its Official Calendars, half of which are French brands. To amplify its global reach, the FHCM has set up an International Emerging Brands Committee with leading industry figures. Wendy Yu, Julie Gilhart, Herbert Hofmann and Jenke Ahmed Tailly help to build bridges with foreign designers but also to relay our international actions.

The FHCM's action is deployed on the following dimensions:

I. SERVICES, EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT

The FHCM's teams are mobilised to support the brands in the various steps required for their activity. The FHCM, thanks to its partners in the fields of finance and digital, enables Emerging Brands to be in contact with experts and professionals who can provide them with advice. The FHCM helps brands to shape their development in all areas, including:

Law and finance

Themed seminars in the legal field are regularly organised: agent and distribution contracts, intellectual property and trademark law, to give brands all the information they need regarding their rights towards distributors and their partners.

In addition, seminars in the financial field are organised with the contribution of RSM, for instance, on fundraising and the construction of a business plan.

Digitalisation

In 2020, the FHCM considerably strengthened its support of the digitalisation of Emerging Brands. In the field of digital communication and e-commerce, a dozen brands benefit from personalised support from experts from our partner Fabernovel through monthly meetings, during one year. In regards to online showrooms, the FHCM has signed a 2-year partnership agreement with Le New Black, pioneer in the industry and a market leader based in Paris. FHCM brands benefit from a 30% discount on all Le New Black packages and services in their first year of subscription. In addition, the FHCM has partnered with Grand Shooting. This platform is dedicated to the production of visuals for the collections, from shooting to retouching, and offers a 20% discount on all its packages and services in the first year of membership.

Supply Chain / Logistics

In order to support the emerging brands furhter, the FHCM has extended its partnerships to supply chain and logistics players. A dozen brands benefit from a free annual licence for the implementation of the Zedonk solution, one of the ERP solutions for monitoring the development and production of collections. In 2020, the FHCM also set up a partnership with Stellae, a logistics platform specialising in fashion and luxury goods. For three years, four brands will benefit from Stellae's services free of charge each year for their shipments to their customers, as well as for the management of their retail stock and e-commerce. Throughout the year, the selected brands also benefit from Stellae's advice and training on logistics management and optimisation. Finally, twice a year, Stellae hosts seminars open to all emerging brands on the main logistics topics.

Professional

L'Oréal Paris, official partner of Paris Fashion Week® and SPHERE Emerging Brands Initiative, supports designers by taking care of the make-up and hair booths for a dozen brands. The FHCM's Emerging Brands benefit from free access to Première Vision, the largest international raw materials trade show. They are invited to the restitutions of the work carried out by the FHCM or other institutions such as the Kéa x IFM study on new economic models financed by the DEFI. In 2021, the Emerging Brands benefited from exclusive access to the NONA Source platform, which provides access to the stocks of the LVMH Group Houses.

II. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The FHCM continues to provide financial support to Emerging Brands through grants for fashion shows and Official Calendar presentations, with an annual allocated budget of 600,000 euros thanks to the support of DEFI. This aid is allocated to around thirty brands based in Paris each season. In addition, a financial support system has been set up for companies based abroad thanks to the Emerging Brands Initiative Fund, to which the FHCM, L'Oréal Paris, LVMH, Kering, Chanel, Hermès, Maison Margiela, Richemont, Dries Van Noten, AMI Paris and Isabel Marant have contributed. Bosideng and La Redoute have also contributed to the fund, which has raised €500,000 to date.

The aim of these grants is to cover several types of costs for the brands:

• The production of creative videos and films presenting the collection, notably for the Paris Fashion Week® digital platform.
• The production of events (fashion shows or presentations) or physical showrooms in Paris during Paris Fashion Week®.

Finally, the FHCM relays all calls for projects, allowing Emerging Brands to receive financial aid for their projects. In 2020, 10 FHCM brands received 20,000 euros in funding from the Ministry of Culture's digital creation fund, for example.

III. SPHERE PARIS FASHION WEEK® SHOWROOM

As part of its support policy, the FHCM has developed SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom. 10 to 15 brands benefit from the SPHERE Showroom platform to sell and promote their collections. Thanks to its partners Le New Black and Grand Shooting, SPHERE has been available in a digital form since July 2020. Brands are welcomed free of charge and without commission. Each brand is individually supported before the sales sessions and benefits throughout from the support of a team of professionals, as well as from various services (professional partnerships) including financing, training and logistical support. The overall turnover of the brands represented has increased significantly.

IV. TRAINING / EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

The FHCM is committed to professional coaching and training for Emerging Brands: from brand auditing to all aspects of management and communication. Each year, three FHCM brands benefit from the annual IFM Labels programme, which has become the IFM Fashion Entrepreneurship Center. Within the framework of the Fashion & Luxury sector committee, FHCM brands take part in the BPIFrance Accelerator programme developed and delivered in cooperation with the IFM and ESCP Business School.

Photo and Author Credit: FHCM