an innovative project introduced by LAB, association which sets up collaborations between design, dressmaking businesses and vocational training.

This initiative stems from the desire to reveal the extent of the transmission around a joint, remarkable project particularly focused on job seeking trainees.

In this context, matali crasset stepped in at the request of Michaël Chéneau and Philippe Hardy from the Libre ArtBbitre / LAB association which, for this project, joined with the Ateliers Fim, a company in Fougères, working as a sub-contractor in the luxury ready-to-wear field together with the main players in this specific French luxury element.

Every year, the Ateliers FIM accepts jobseekers within the scope of employment preparatory work placements run by Pôle Emploi for training in dressmaking occupations. For this company, which has difficulty in recruiting due to a lack of appropriate training, this is a way of training its future employees. The aim of the training course is to provide the job seeking trainee with sufficiently strong bases so that they are capable of fitting into the workshop as novice professionals.

After an encounter with the executives of FIM and a visit to the workshops in Fougères, matali crasset responded to this request by proposing a clothing collection. This order called "Preview", was to be developed and produced by a group of job seeking trainees.

From among proposals made by matali crasset, FIM selected a model of blouson jacket and all the various stages were produced in small quantities by these trainees.

For the first stage of the project, matali crasset imagined and designed a blouson jacket together with the FIM design department. "I always liked very structured clothes. For this project, I thought of a structure designed in two colours. To a certain extent, the blouson jacket has its own backbone symbolised by the black. I played with the vertical and horizontal seams to create a rhythm and a visual dynamic."

The various stages in the design of this jacket resulted in the compiling of an assembly range in preparation for the production of a series of 10 exclusive models for the POEC group (Préparation Opérationnelle à l’Emploi Collectif – Operational Preparation for Group Employment).

The manufacture of the blouson jacket designed by matali crasset was the culmination of the training course taken by Aude, Corinne, Kristina, Nadia and Violaine.

Before becoming trainees in this FIM workshop, Aude had been a secretary for 10 years, Corinne was a security receptionist, Kristina and Violaine were looking for long-term professional guidance and Nadia had just left the farming environment. All of them were chosen after two interview and dexterity tests to take part in the operational preparation for group employment (POEC) organised by Façon Luxe. For two and a half months, they were trained in a new occupation, that of a sewing machinist. Supervised by their trainers, Maria and Marina, step by step they learnt how to master the stitching and assembly techniques.

For two weeks, the trainees were organised into a genuine production line and manufactured ten exclusive models.