Paris, Capital of Fashion & Luxury 

Historically, Paris Region has always been a major reference for fashion and luxury. Paris Region is home to several Haute Couture Maisons such as Dior, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, and high-end luxury fashion brands such as Saint-Laurent, Celine, Hermes, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton. In fact, all the major international brands have a flagship store in Paris Region. 

From Fashion and Textile Design to Luxury Brand Management and Fashion Sustainability, Paris Region is home to several leaders in Fashion education attracting students from all over the world, among which Institut Français de la Mode - IFM (French Institute of Fashion), International Fashion Academy - IFA, ESMOD Paris, Studio Bercot, ENSAD (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs), and Ecole Duperré. 

The industry is well structured around organizations dedicated to supporting Fashion designers. 

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode seeks to promote French fashion culture, by combining traditional know-how with contemporary technology. It contributes to bolstering Paris in its role as an international fashion capital by coordinating Paris Fashion Week®. Learn More. 

The Fédération Française du Prêt-à-Porter Féminin represents and accelerates the development of companies in the industry. Learn More. 

DEFI is the organization which supports the funding, internationalization and digitization of fashion creation. Learn More. 

The Comité Colbert brings together French luxury houses and several cultural institutions to promote the French art de vivre at an international level. Learn More. 

Paris, Capital of Sustainable Fashion 

Starting in January 2019, Paris has been taking official steps towards increasing sustainability within the fashion industry. The Paris Good Fashion initiative, supported by the city of Paris, aims to make Paris the capital of sustainable fashion by 2024. It is focusing its efforts on circular economy, improving sourcing and traceability, and working on making certain processes more sustainable such as distribution, energy, and communication.  

France’s leading fashion groups are also taking measures towards increased sustainability across the board. They are, for example, looking into new ecological materials and responsible sourcing.  

Paris Region-born FashionTech startups are currently exploring new materials and improved processes: INDUO works on smart textile, Serycine on silk production and Tekyn on an on-demand manufacturing platform, just to name a few. 

The Fashion industry as a whole, through luxury incubators and industry events is increasingly placing sustainability at the heart of the matter (see below). 

Clusters, Incubators and Accelerators to Support Your Growth in Paris Region 

Look Forward is the incubator of the French online fashion retailer Showroomprive.com. Each year, Look Forward hosts 20 international startups transforming the fashion, retail, and beauty industries, to familiarize them with more responsible practices. Learn More. 

Foundry powered by IFA Paris has a mission of supporting budding entrepreneurs and early stage startups specializing in FashionTech, innovation, sustainability, and future craft. Learn More. 

Located in Station F, La Maison des Startups LVMH welcomes more than 50 startups every year to assist them in the development of synergies with LVMH’s 70 Maisons. Learn More. 

ADN_x IFM focuses on FashionTech. The program is operated by the Institut Français de la Mode (French Institute of Fashion) and Creative Valley at Station F. Learn More. 

Opening in 2021, la Caserne will be Europe’s largest sustainable fashion space. It will include an accelerator, workshops, a versatile open space, and offices. Learn More. 

Discover more startups programs dedicated to retail on our Retail & E-Commerce page. 

Tailored Incentives for Your Projects 

Companies operating in the textile, clothing and leather industry can benefit from a specific research tax credit called the Collection Tax Credit. This amounts to 30% of the eligible expenditure related to the development of new collections. Learn More. 

IFCIC Fashion Guarantee is a guaranteed loan facilitating banks’ commitment to Fashion Companies defined by the DEFI as Young Creative Enterprises (JEC).  

In addition to the bank guarantee, IFCIC has the capacity to lend directly to SMEs through the IFCIC Fashion Loan. This facilitates the financing of the production cycle of creators or the  structural investments such as the structuring of teams, expenses related to the acquisition of new markets or the brand's online presence, etc. Learn More. 

Fashion & Luxury Events in Paris Region 

Paris Fashion Week, Paris, Multiple dates - International week of fashion shows, which takes place every six months with events dedicated to both Haute Couture and to men’s/ women’s ready-to-wear fashion. Learn More. 

Avantex Paris, Le Bourget, February - First international tradeshow dedicated to innovation in the textile and fashion industries. Learn More. 

Tranoï, Paris, February/March - Leading B2B event establishing connections between high-end retailers and innovative designers. Learn More. 

Who’s Next, Paris, September – 3 events in 1: 

• Who’s Next: Ready-to-Wear, Accessories, Beauty, Lifestyle 

• Impact: a space dedicated to sustainable fashion 

• Traffic: innovation and services for Fashion Business. Learn More. 

Les Petits Dejeuners De La Fashiontech, Paris, Multiple dates - A quarterly event to connect the best of Fashion & Retail tech startups with executives from the luxury, lifestyle and sport style sectors in Paris. Learn More.