Eleven Master’s students of LISAA Mode Paris open their own showroom this Monday, a real test of what it takes to run a brand. Open on Tuesday 27 October from 10h to 17h. Espace Parallèle, 47 Rue de Servan, 75011 Paris.
Launching a brand begins with a vision, yet a vision alone does not fill a showroom. A designer must also hold a budget, brief suppliers, secure a venue, find the right words for the press and convince a buyer in a few minutes. Creativity and technical skill open the door. The rest of the profession waits behind it.
This is the lesson LISAA Mode Paris wants its students to learn by doing. On Monday 26 October and Tuesday 27 October, eleven students of its Master in Fashion Design and Brand Creation present their own labels in a collaborative showroom, “Moi aussi j’ai un rêve” (“I Too Have a Dream”), at Espace Parallèle, 47 Rue de Servan, 75011 Paris. The opening preview runs on Monday from 18h to 21h, and the showroom welcomes the public on Tuesday from 10h to 17h.
The principle is simple and demanding. Selected after their final graduation jury in mid-September, the students design and organise the event themselves. Each designer keeps a distinct universe, yet all share one space, one message and one budget. Unity becomes a method as much as a slogan, because a collective only works when every voice accepts to serve the whole.
Karel Mills, Director of LISAA Mode Paris, explains how the school prepares them for it.
How does the showroom prepare students for a competitive industry?
“The showroom serves as a genuine bridge between education and the professional world. While students showcase their own brands, they also learn how to present and defend their creative vision to an audience of industry professionals, articulate their design process, and position their project within a highly competitive market.
What makes this experience particularly valuable is its collaborative dimension. The eleven selected designers must learn how to bring together their distinct creative universes, sometimes radically different, to create a coherent and meaningful collective experience. This challenges them to step back from their individual projects, understand the perspectives and objectives of other brands, and develop a broader view of their future profession.
In the fashion industry, creative talent is essential, but it is not enough on its own. The ability to collaborate, advocate for an idea, adapt to changing circumstances, and build a shared vision are equally important skills. The showroom is specifically designed to allow students to develop and apply these capabilities in a real-world setting.”
Who handles what during the showroom, and where does the school step in?
“The students are the true project leaders. From the moment they are selected following their final graduation jury in mid-September, they take responsibility for designing and organizing the showroom. Together, they define its identity, develop its communication strategy, shape its overall concept, and coordinate every stage of the event’s preparation.
They are given a limited budget, which they must manage collectively. This requires them to make decisions, prioritize expenses, manage orders, organize the catering, coordinate suppliers and service providers, and ensure the smooth delivery of the event. This year, they even had to deal with a last-minute venue change, which challenged them to adapt quickly and find practical solutions under pressure.
The school’s role is one of guidance and mentorship. Our teams advise, challenge, and support the students when necessary, while ensuring that the project remains realistic and achievable. However, we deliberately leave responsibility for decision-making and execution in the students’ hands. The objective is for them to experience the realities of launching a brand and delivering a professional event, while benefiting from a supportive environment in which they can learn and grow.”
How does the school help students build a community and a network that lasts after graduation?
“Our students begin building their professional network long before they graduate. Most of our Master’s students complete their studies through work-study placements, which immerse them in the industry and enable them to develop meaningful professional relationships from an early stage.
Alongside this, we create numerous opportunities for students to connect with the wider fashion ecosystem through conferences, industry juries, workshops, company visits, and partnerships with leading organizations and professionals. Students can also benefit from the support of our Corporate Relations team, which helps them expand their professional network throughout their studies.
We also place great importance on the strength of our community. The connections students build through collaborative projects, particularly experiences such as the showroom, often become the foundation of long-term professional relationships. After graduation, our alumni continue to engage through a dedicated LinkedIn group, where we regularly share job opportunities, business development initiatives, and support programmes for emerging designers and entrepreneurs.
Our ambition is for students to leave LISAA not only with a degree, but also with an active professional community that will continue to support them throughout their careers.”
Once students leave LISAA, what support do they still get to find work or launch their own brand?
“We believe that support should not end on graduation day. Our graduates remain valued members of the LISAA community and continue to benefit from access to professional contacts, opportunities, and advice.
For those pursuing careers within established companies, we continue to share job opportunities and professional openings through our alumni network. Our Corporate Relations team also remains a valuable point of contact during the early stages of their professional journey.
For graduates looking to develop their own brand, we act as facilitators and connectors. We regularly share information about opportunities dedicated to emerging designers, including calls for applications, competitions, grants, and business support programmes. We also promote brands launched by our graduates through our communication channels, helping them gain visibility and recognition within the industry.
Finally, we rely on a particularly engaged network of partners. For example, the Fédération du Prêt à Porter Féminin will attend the showroom to discover the eleven brands and identify designers who may benefit from further support and mentoring. This is exactly the type of bridge we strive to build between education and industry, helping our graduates transform creative projects into sustainable professional ventures.”
“Moi aussi j’ai un rêve” (“I Too Have a Dream”), collaborative showroom. Opening preview on Monday 26 October from 18h to 21h. Open on Tuesday 27 October from 10h to 17h. Espace Parallèle, 47 Rue de Servan, 75011 Paris.
