ECSCP: Let’s hear from the teachers (III)

Now that the prestigious Parsons School in New York has just opened its doors in Paris, there are more fashion schools than ever in the capital. It’s time to hear from the teachers who are mainly designers and professionals working

in the fashion industry. Here are five original portraits of five french establishments.

After Esmod Paris and Mod’Art International, FashionUnited made a pit stop at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, (ECSCP) created in 1927. Here, you will find the chairmen and directors of human resources of some of the most luxurious fashion houses (Balenciaga, Céline, Chanel, Chloé, Hermès, Louis Vuitton…) all gathered together in “Cercle Saint-Roch.” This sort of state-of-the-art institution was created and is chaired by Sydney Toledano, who approved of the direction the school was headed. For this interview we decided to focus on the “Creative Modeling” course taught by Gianfranco Scotti. He trained in Italy and moved to Paris in 1996. He set up his own study, creation and modeling office and started working for houses such as Christian Dior, Carven and Sonia Rykiel. At the same time, he began developing his eponymous trademark label, which is sold in the United States and China. Let’s meet him!

FashionUnited: How did you become involved in teaching and what is your role at ECSCP?
It was Céline Toledano (director of studies in the 4th Year Programme) who first noticed me in 2010 and asked me to join the school teaching board. Since then, I have taught 4th Year Master classes (two classes in 2013-2014) in which I teach in tandem with Isabelle Béchet who is the “Creation/Design” expert. I teach the “Creation/Technique” aspect of the course. Throughout the studies, design and technique are closely linked in creating a special enhanced student profile. The study standard is quite hard.

Is it important to focus on technique in teaching fashion?
Absolutely! There’s a lot of talk about design in the fashion schools and the technical side of it. At ECSCP, we are looking to develop this often under-rated aspect of fashion studies. We want to evolve it. Today, the modeler’s profile is changing and modelers are now asked to be creative as well. Making a creative model involves developing a creative three-dimensional [3D] proposal. You have to have the capacity to work on shaping and forming one aspect of clothing, such as the waist, wrist or sleeve. It’s not just a matter of throwing some cotton fabric over a Stockman; it involves learning a technique, creating tools that will be your personal talents.

Is this

technical aspect still at the heart of the fashion industry?
More than ever! From bottom of the range ready-to-wear up to the top of the range, all companies, is does not matter which branch, use these techniques. For a student, it’s a quicker way of putting forward an idea. The iconographic research is important, but knowing how to work in 3D is a profile that is increasingly sought after. For a student, it is a true added value since jobs in fashion are undergoing increasingly frequent and rapid change. Therefore, I make a point in the course of addressing all aspects of the profession and getting them ready for business.

Is it important to have links with the fashion industry when teaching?
Yes, because teaching is a real exchange. Of course, I represent authority, the establishment, but I’m there to share my experience and know-how and the challenges of the profession. But I do it without being over the top and with some humility. On their side, their point of view is relevant and focused and I can also learn from their vision of things. This exchange is a reflection of the work done as a team in a fashion studio. You have to know how to adapt to working as part of a team; you have to understand others and not upset them. It’s a balance that is also part of the work of a teacher.

What do you think about fashion schools nowadays; did you attend one?
I was trained in Italy at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and then went to a school that had a good professional reputation, but it was not an international one. Today, fashion is fashionable and fashion schools are fashionable. There are quite a number of them but they are not necessarily all of the same high standards. There is a whole Anglo-Saxon generation involved in training based on design that leaves out the most important thing: technique. In the marketplace, it is becoming increasingly hard to find good modelers who are also creative. The schools must look at this. The student must be given more than just glamour and design; we need to talk to them about the reality, about what is happening nowadays. Fashion is a profession in which you can get lost very quickly. You have to help every student discover his or her talent.

Céline Vautard

Photos : Portrait of Gianfranco Scotti
Workshop and classroom at ECSCP.