LVMH announces partnership with La Fabrique Nomade, an association that helps refugee artisans in France find employment

LVMH and its Maisons hold and nurture a rich cultural heritage of artisanal and creative métiers, and have always made preserving and passing on this unique savoir-faire to new generations a fundamental priority. In 2011 this commitment led to the creation of Les Journées Particulières event, which is held every two years to celebrate and share a backstage experience at LVMH Maisons and workshops. Last year the event welcomed over 180,000 visitors around the world. In 2014, LVMH created the Institut des Métiers d’Excellence, which has already trained more than 800 apprentices in France, Switzerland and Italy. These initiatives reflect the essential role of artisans within the Group’s ecosystem.

Founded in January 2016, La Fabrique Nomade is an association that facilitates the employment of migrant and refugee artisans in France. The migrant experience often leads to a disruption of professional growth for these skilled artisans and employment choices limited to low-skilled professions where there is a shortage of manpower. La Fabrique Nomade gives these passionate women and men a chance to once again practice their métier in France, helping them learn or improve their French, including technical vocabulary, and adapt to a new economic and cultural environment and build an essential network of contacts.

“Savoir-faire and creativity are universal languages that encourage positive human relations. To help the artisans at La Fabrique Nomade continue to practice their métier in France and hone their craftsmanship, LVMH and its Maisons are making a long-term commitment to their professional inclusion through skills sponsorship, and by opening the doors of our Maisons to nourish exchanges,”
said Antoine Arnault at the vernissage for the Traits d’Union 4 collection, where he was joined by CEOs, designers and workshop directors from LVMH Maisons, as well as the many people who have been working on this project since April 2019.

Created by artisans supported by La Fabrique Nomade in collaboration with volunteer designers, the Traits d’Union 4 collection invited each of the artisans to draw inspiration from a personal story, a memory or cultural symbolism around the theme of “Treasure”, chosen by Faye McLeod, Visual Image Director of the LVMH Group.

LVMH’s support for La Fabrique Nomade includes skills sponsorship, sharing of material resources and professional inclusion across a range of initiatives. The Group calls on its talents to help address needs identified by La Fabrique Nomade, and Louis Vuitton, Kenzo and Chaumet have been the first to provide support by donating jewelry-making tools and materials and textiles for sewing.

In the coming months LVMH will welcome artisans from La Fabrique Nomade to the workshops of Christian Dior Couture, Chaumet and Berluti, helping them learn more about craft professions in France. LVMH is also exploring opportunities for internships, jobs or training at several of its Maisons.

One artisan who was previously part of the program now works with several LVMH Maisons, and a seamstress currently in the program will shortly join the Dior Couture workshop for a fixed-term contract. What’s more, Maison Patou recently worked with La Fabrique Nomade on a confidential project.

Plans for 2020 calls for an extension of this partnership, engaging artisans and designers from the LVMH Group to support La Fabrique Nomade artisans and prepare the next Traits d’Union 4 collection.

The Traits d’union 4 collection is already available at the shop and on La Fabrique NOMADE website. All the profit will be used to finance the association’s actions.

Image Credits:

© Félicien Delorme

© DR