A trendy location, a red carpet, photographers, television cameras, a captivated audience, a famous fashion designer and models in fantastic dresses… I was at a genuine fashion show, but one with a twist!

For at this show, the models wearing the clothes were also the women who designed the collection, which were made entirely from recycled materials. And more poignantly, these were all women who were struggling to find work.

The idea of combining fashion, recycling and professional reinsertion is the brainchild of the association, Tissons la Solidarité* and its efforts were recognised by Christian Lacroix who agreed to be patron of the fashion show.

“For me, these women represent the correct approach to contemporary society” said Christian Lacroix who took an active interest in the show, arriving well before the start to greet the participants in the wings, and then going backstage at the end to congratulate them..

“Fashion means reinventing things”, he said, “what we’ve seen here is hand work and unique items – it’s another type of dress making. This isn’t just being done to give people a good conscience, there’s a real, lasting commitment and a proper structure behind it all”.

The emotion during the show was palpable as the models, of all ages, shapes and sizes, made their way down the catwalk; the combination of pride and nerves that could be seen in their smiles made the event all the more moving.

This event sent out a clear message that it is not just because someone is out of work that they are not capable of the highest levels of quality and professionalism. And this is why Société Générale supports Tissons la Solidarité and other associations that work on the professional reinsertion of people who, through no fault of their own, struggle to integrate the job market.

*Tissons la solidarité was created in 2004 by Secours catholique. It aims to build bridges between its 66 workshops for professional integration (which provide around 1,800 people with work, mainly women on the brink of professional exclusion) and the job market.

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