Ahead of the 38th edition of the Hyères Festival, which runs from Thursday October 12th to Sunday October 15th, FashionUnited is addressing the financing of the coveted event for fashion, photography and accessories fans.
This year, the festival, led by Jean-Pierre Blanc and chaired by Pascale Mussard, will once again shine a spotlight on new talent and explore the latest creative trends in fashion and photography. Launched in 1985, the Hyères Festival is considered the world’s oldest competition for young fashion talent. The Villa Noailles in southeastern France, with its iconic architectural design that serves as the festival’s emblem, is the venue for this event every year.
This year’s edition promises an exciting program consisting of competitions, exhibitions and panels with ten designers, photographers and accessory creators each, all carefully selected by professional juries. The event is an important date in the calendar of fashion, photography and accessories fans and offers a deep insight into the world of new creativity.
A creative competition with strong financial support
The history of the Hyères Festival is closely linked to the Villa Noailles association (FIAMH). This was founded in the 1980s with the aim of rejuvenating the villa – a landmark of Hyères. In 1985, the association launched the “Festival des Jeunes Stylistes” (Festival of Young Stylists), which quickly emerged as the driving force behind this daring venture that combines architecture, photography, design and the world of fashion.
Despite its avant-garde character, the project was approved and strongly supported by the city administration and all partners involved. The club has received continuous financial support from the city of Hyères since its founding in 1986. In 2003, the greater Toulon Provence Méditerranée area also joined the ranks of donors. The festival is also supported by the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Council and the Var Municipal Council.
Despite its 38th anniversary, the festival remains committed to providing an exceptional platform for emerging creativity in fashion, photography and accessories. Jean Pierre Blanc, the executive director, emphasized in an interview with FashionUnited in January 2023 that organizing such an event remains a challenge, especially due to the allocation of institutional budgets, 70 percent of which goes to the Ile de France region . However, a glimmer of hope has emerged thanks to the Ministry of Culture: in 2022, the ministry launched a national policy to support festivals and introduced a “Festival Fund”. This initiative aims to meet the development and structural needs of cultural festivals, support their development and encourage artistic innovation and risk-taking.
The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region (PACA), which hosts over 900 festivals in its territory, received funding to support these events, along with funding from the National Center for Music (CNM) and others Sources a sizeable allocation of 1.039 billion euros. In 2023, these funds were used to review nearly 200 grant applications, a 33 percent increase over the previous year. These applications totaled 4.5 million euros, underlining the importance of cultural festivals in the region and the need for financial support to maintain and promote them.
In the report on the grants granted by the Toulon Provence Méditerranée metropolitan region, a grant of 1.2 million euros was granted to the association Villa Noailles (FIAMH) by decision of February 7, 2023. The city of Hyères has also shown its commitment to the club by providing 150,000 euros in 2022. In the municipality of Var, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) played a crucial role by allocating a budget of 260,000 euros to support 19 festivals, including the Hyères Festival. These significant contributions underline the recognition of the cultural and creative importance of the event in the region.
Financial situation, debts and agreements
The club does not disclose its income, making it difficult to get a full picture of its financial situation. However, a report prepared by accounting firm APEX Wagner & Associates in 2015 showed a total balance for the festival of €1.1 million, with revenue of €70,245 and a net loss of €28,456.
The report at the time also showed debts to a credit institution amounting to 1,737 euros and debts to delivery companies for the purchase of the goods and services required for the festival amounting to around 300,000 euros. In addition, it was noted that an annual agreement for the provision of common spaces and equipment was signed between the association and the municipality of Hyères in March 2013. In this agreement, the municipality undertakes to provide the necessary premises for the event. In addition, the city services support the smooth implementation of the event. Although these data refer to an earlier period, they show similarities in terms of the amount of grants and the agreements with private and public partners. So is the festival still in the red in 2023?
Private partnerships: occasional and year-round support
Fashion industry leaders play an important role in funding the Hyères Festival, particularly through the prizes they give to artists. They not only provide financial support, but also offer the artists more visibility, logistical support and sponsorship.
Among them, Chanel, LVMH, Première Vision, Hermès, Mercedes-Benz, Défi, Kering, Konbini and Madame Le Figaro stand out for their commitment to the festival. They finance the competitions, which span the three main categories of fashion, photography and accessories.
Here is an overview of the sponsorship of the fashion award:
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.uk. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.