The Cité de la Mode et du Design is undergoing a transformation…

… and Paris is gaining a new prestigious fashion school. Inaugurated in 2008, the Cité de la Mode et du Design struggled to find its purpose and audience. Its future will ultimately be a return to its original purpose, which was to be a major center for fashion education. A look back at ten years of history of the Cité de la Mode et du Design, a brief and tumultuous journey.

The Cité de la Mode et du Design: An Unconventional Venue for a Fashion School Focused on the Future

Located on the Quai d’Austerlitz in a former industrial warehouse of the Port of Paris, the building, constructed in 1907, is one of the first structures made of reinforced concrete. Strategically located between the Lyon and Austerlitz train stations, the building was, at the time of its construction, a warehouse used for transferring goods from barges to trains. In the 2000s, the neighborhood transformed into an area of East Paris where the City of Light distanced itself from 19th-century architecture to invent its future. The renovation of the former warehouse is part of this ambitious project. Adorned with a massive fluorescent caterpillar crawling along its facade, a new life begins for the old industrial building. The idea is bold and not universally accepted, but it will become a strong visual identity for the Cité de la Mode et du Design, which takes up residence there in 2008.

The Cité de la Mode et du Design: A Misunderstood Space Searching for Its Purpose

At that time, the Institut Français de la Mode is the only occupant of the building, but the space was designed to be hybrid from the outset; it was planned to include an exhibition area, shops, and restaurants. Things do not unfold as the project’s initiators had envisioned; high rents cause potential partners to back out one by one. After numerous twists and turns, and a final shift towards event organization in 2004, the structure will ultimately be reimagined to host a major Parisian fashion school. It will bring together the IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) and the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (ECSCP). Bringing together these two entities was necessary for Paris to strengthen its position in the competition among the world’s top fashion schools. The new school will adopt the teaching principles proposed by the IFM, focusing on creativity, technical expertise, and management, while breaking down barriers between disciplines to encourage seamless transitions from one to another.

The Cité de la Mode et du Design Reinvents Itself

Originally dedicated to education, the Cité de la Mode et du Design refocuses on its primary mission while remaining a space that blends education and leisure. A section dedicated to events will allow for the organization of fashion shows. The new entity will offer training programs ranging from CAP to Bac+5 and will accommodate around a thousand students. The building’s transformation work is expected to begin in 2019 and be completed by February 2020, just a few months after the first intake at this new prestigious fashion school. The interior architecture of the building will be designed to reflect the principles of an institution focused on teaching 21st-century fashion. One can therefore expect that boldness will be a key feature!