The impact of the Olympics on Paris Fashion Week: professionals tell their story

To leave Paris in the hands of the Olympic Games, the Fédération de la Mode et de la Haute Couture (FMCM) has brought forward the dates of Men's Fashion Week from June 18 to 23, 2024. Despite this precaution, the fashion event – which is organized around the official FHCM calendar and an off-site agenda, should be impacted by the world sporting event whose opening ceremony will take place on July 26.

Questioned by FashionUnited, several press agencies reported logistical difficulties and said they had noted a reduction in the number of brands participating in Paris Fashion Week, dedicated to spring-summer 2025 men's collections. This is particularly the case for the Lucien Pags agency, responsible for the podiums of several big names in luxury: “This is essentially due to the rise in prices and the logistical complications that the Paris Olympic Games can cause,” explains Daniel. Urrutia, fashion public relations specialist at Lucien Pags, in an email. The agency does not plan to put in place particular systems to operate during the Olympic Games: “We will have to adapt and continue to operate as efficiently as possible despite the constraints that may arise,” he continued.

The capital will be forced to close several major roads. Certain roads will no longer be accessible to transport, in particular the Cours la Reine, between the Alexandre III and Invalides bridges, the Alexandre III bridge and the nearby low quays. Place de la Concorde has also been closed since the beginning of June, and the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais will not be accessible.

“The choice of location for a presentation and/or fashion show must be made by weighing the risks linked to ease of access (deliveries and guests),” underlined Livio Facchini, founder of the Public agency. PR image. “We will therefore favor places located in areas less affected by traffic restrictions. The director added that he also noticed a reduction in the number of brands present and highlighted that men's and mixed brands prefer to postpone a press presentation until September.

Lyor Amar, founder of the agency of the same name, also said that many brands canceled shows, presentations and other events in June because of the Olympics. “Couture, on the other hand, seems less affected,” he adds. FashionUnited found that other professionals shared the same opinion regarding Haute Couture Week (June 24 – 27).

Stéphanie Veuriot, head of the Autre PR agency, talks about the difficulty of finding locations: “We represent the Prototypes brand, which diverts and recycles sports clothing, so we were looking for a sports ground (gym, tennis courts, football) and everything We obtained a refusal from the events department of Paris City Hall. Priority was given to the Olympics and to maintaining sports classes for the city's residents.” The company finally opted for a tunnel on the banks of the Seine before learning that these would be closed in preparation for the ceremony. opening.

Stéphanie Veuriot confided that she had to refuse a mission for a foreign sportswear brand which wanted to do a fashion show at the end of July to attract the fashion press, and regrets that the agency and its team found themselves “as is very often the case “. the case, alone in finding solutions which do not jeopardize the proper functioning of the company”.

Showrooms: between absence and opportunity

When it comes to showrooms, opinions seem divided. Talk-studio sees the Olympic Games as an opportunity to boost its business through partnerships with sports brands. While The Clothette showroom – which has a portfolio of around thirty brands – chose to start its sales early (early June rather than mid-June as is usually the case) and planned to 'organize visits for buyers who do not wish to do so. travel this season.

However, the absence of Italian showrooms is felt. Giacomo Piazza, co-founder and director of Milan showroom 247 (which distributes around 40 brands), told FashionUnited that he and other leading international showrooms had decided to limit themselves to Milan for the June market/ July.

“We love Paris and consider it as much our home as Milan, but we believe we will provide better service to buyers and client brands if we only sell to Milan for this first leg of SS25,” Piazza said via email . He adds: “Of course, the complication of logistics, accommodation costs, travel costs, etc. has led many buyers, and therefore brands, to extend their stay in Milan and reduce their stay in Paris. We also evaluated our cost scope and decided to take less financial risk in the face of all these challenges.”

The prices charged by hoteliers in Greater Paris during the Olympics are higher than during normal periods, with an average price of 381 euros during the Olympics, compared to 202 euros in July 2023 and 161 euros in August 2023 (source: Paris Tourist Baromètre Office May 2024).

The official Fashion Week, coordinated by the FHCM, was organized in consultation with several public authorities (the Police Prefecture, the Olympic Games Organizing Committee (COJO), the Paris City Hall and the ministries concerned) to ensure security and access. to the places. Beforehand, the Federation submitted to the authorities 260 locations often used by brands for their presentations and fashion shows. More than 200 have been approved by the Police Prefecture. In addition, six shuttles will be made available to accredited professionals, compared to the usual two.

As of June 5, the number of accreditations (which continue to be recorded until the last minute) communicated by the FHCM to FashionUnited was equivalent to last season (258 compared to 263).

As a reminder, in addition to Men's Fashion Week organized from June 18 to Sunday, June 23, Paris will host the traditional Haute Couture Week (from June 24 to Thursday, June 27) and Women's Fashion Week (from September 23 to Tuesday, October 1).

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and editing by: Rachel Douglass.