Maison Mode Méditerranée (MMM), a renowned fashion organization headquartered in Marseilles, has recently unveiled the 13 projects that will be receiving financial backing from its esteemed endowment fund for the upcoming 2021-22 period. Established by Marylin Bellieud-Vigouroux in 1988, MMM transformed into an endowment fund in June 2020 with an impressive initial capital exceeding €500,000. Despite not soliciting applications, the fund received an overwhelming number of spontaneous submissions, leading to the selection of the 13 projects.
The expert team at MMM, comprised of esteemed industry professionals and leaders such as Françoise Montenay, head of Chanel’s supervisory board, and Dominique Jacomet, director of the French Fashion Institute (IFM), distributed a total of €100,000 among the chosen projects. The majority of the recipients hail from various countries, including Croatia, France, Greece, Lebanon, Portugal, Senegal, and Tunisia, and most of them are graduates of international fashion schools.
These scholarships are divided into three distinct categories, each designed to cater to the specific goals of the recipients. The first category, focusing on brand development and production, includes talented designers such as Marija Kulusic from Croatia, Laura Deweilde from France, Katty Xiomara from Portugal, and Roméo Moukagny Mindobo from Senegal. These exceptional individuals will receive financial support to further refine and expand their respective labels.
The second category, centered around digital culture, will assist designers Julie Bourgeois from France, Flore Girard de Langlade from Lebanon, Ahmed Amer from Tunisia, and Cynthia Merhej from Lebanon in the improvement of their websites and the enhancement of their social media presence.
In the ‘Image’ category, two recipients, Ali Gasmi from Tunisia and Melissanthi Spei from Greece, have been awarded scholarships to bolster their brand image and solidify their artistic visions.
In addition to these scholarships, MMM has also granted two coveted research fellowships. The first fellowship was presented to researcher Saveria Mendella, who is conducting an extensive study on “the language of fashion” while being based in Marseilles. The second fellowship was bestowed upon Khémaine Ben Lakhdar, a dedicated PhD student focusing on art and fashion history. These promising researchers will receive financial support to further their research projects.
Furthermore, Maison Mode Méditerranée recognized the exceptional potential of Atelier Bartavelle’s itinerant project, winner of the esteemed Open MyMed Prize in 2015. This visionary project aims to foster connections among women artisans across the Mediterranean region and develop a sustainable collection inspired by traditional garments and fabrics. The scholarship awarded to Atelier Bartavelle will contribute to the project’s cultural ethics and sustainability efforts.
Through these scholarship grants, Maison Mode Méditerranée’s endowment fund has successfully empowered talented designers and researchers by providing them with the necessary financial support to develop their brands, enhance their digital presence, and advance their research within the fashion industry. This initiative underscores MMM’s mission to promote and foster the growth of fashion within the Mediterranean region.
Useful Links:
– Maison Mode Méditerranée Official Website
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