Celine, Chaumet, Patou, Dior and Louis Vuitton working with refugee artisans

“These are much more than simply fashion and décor items, they embody the tenacity that transforms beauty into esteem, esteem into hope, and hope into a future,” – Inès Mesmar, La Fabrique NOMADE director.

On March 23, La Fabrique NOMADE, a non-profit that helps talented artisans who have sought refuge in France use their skills as a path to integration, presented the Traits d’Union 5 collection of new clothes, jewelry and objets d’art by refugee artisans on their website. LVMH has since 2019 actively supported La Fabrique NOMADE.

LVMH, the biggest luxury group in the high-end segment, is once again supporting the collection this year, in particular through the engagement of designers, artisans and experts from Celine, Chaumet and Louis Vuitton who are working with the craftspeople supported by the charity.

This year La Fabrique NOMADE asked Guerlain ambassador Sonia Rolland to act as godmother of the event. Filmmaker, actress and activist, notably in support of refugees, Sonia Rolland is particularly attuned to the difficult journeys of the artisans sponsored by the workshop.

Founded five years ago by Inès Mesmar, La Fabrique NOMADE promotes the skills of refugee artisans by presenting
collections created with support from volunteer designers and stylists. Its new Traits d’Union 5 collection will be launched online on March 23 at 7 pm (Paris time), featuring creations around the evocative theme of “Le Renouveau” (Renewal), proposed by creative directors Pauline Ricard-André and José Lévy. Clothes by talented couturiers from Azerbaijan, Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq and Senegal will be shown alongside jewelry by artisans from Armenia, Cameroon, Morocco and Peru. Iranian, Ivorian and Turkish artisans all found inspiration in their native cultures for the objets d’art in the collection.

“I discovered above all an exceptional crossroads of cultural exchange that promotes sharing of savoir-faire and facilitates the integration of these craftswomen and craftsmen into French culture and the French economy. This is a virtuous, intelligent and human model of integration.” – Sonia Rolland, the godmother of La Fabrique NOMADE’s latest collection.

Chaumet and Patou luxury brands, for example, have taken on artisans as interns this year, while Dior hired a couturière at its workshop last year.

The collection “Le Renouveau” is available from La Fabrique NOMADE’s e-shop as well as its store at the Viaduc des
Arts, 1 bis avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.

“I am delighted that our Maisons have welcomed these artisans to visit their workshops and encouraged their contribution to joint projects. Sharing experience is a two-way process that’s extremely enriching for everyone involved. This partnership has also brought talented people together and resulted in very concrete achievements in terms of professional integration.” – LVMH’s Antoine Arnault.