TELECURSO DA MODA 08 | referências de moda: Maria da Conceição Tavares, Lucien Pagès, Marc Jacobs

Summary

The presenter draws on economics, anthropology, design, fashion media, public relations, and politics to argue that fashion professionals should build a broad understanding of the world—not just follow fashion-specific content. The video also highlights people and organizations that offer a view into fashion’s backstage work and encourages viewers to research careers and industry practices for themselves.

Main Ideas and References

Look beyond fashion for inspiration

References should enrich people as well as professionals. The presenter emphasizes that fashion is not automatically luxury, and luxury is not automatically fashion. Understanding the distinction can also shed light on social and political dynamics.

Maria da Conceição Tavares is introduced as an intellectual and personal inspiration. The presenter briefly describes the Portuguese-born economist’s life in Brazil and her work as an academic and public figure. Viewers are encouraged to explore her interviews and career, including her appearance on Roda Viva, rather than relying on a short introduction.

Follow your curiosity

When encountering a person, publication, or company for the first time, investigate further: find out who is involved, what they have made, whom they work with, and where their careers have led. The presenter describes this process as going down a “rabbit hole.”

The presenter also recommends bringing other disciplines into fashion thinking:

• Anthropologist Michel Maffesoli offers an accessible entry point to anthropology, including ideas related to consumption and luxury.
• It’s Nice That covers design and creativity, including an article on the branding and graphic design of São Paulo bars.
• Architecture, literature, music, and other creative fields can all provide useful context for fashion.

Become a broad-minded professional

A broad understanding of the industry—from branding and communication to campaigns, events, social media, and production—can help professionals collaborate and see how different parts fit together. The presenter advises viewers not to limit their research to content about their precise job or specialty, while still developing areas of expertise.

Fashion media can also help viewers understand the industry and its contributors. The presenter recommends John Galliano’s masterclass-style conversation with fashion students and System magazine. Viewers are encouraged to explore publications’ websites and social accounts, identify their teams and production credits, and research the people behind the work.

Learn to research and take initiative

A central career lesson is to “teach yourself to fish”: do not expect every answer or document to be handed to you. If one person does not respond, politely try another route, follow up appropriately, and use tools such as Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram to investigate.

The presenter stresses that real expertise takes time and sustained attention. It comes from watching and reading beyond short-form content.

Treat feedback as part of professional growth

The presenter recalls a former manager asking whether she had tried other people or methods after getting stuck. Constructive feedback can feel uncomfortable, but people who want someone to grow may tell them difficult things they need to hear.

Persistence should still be respectful: recognize when someone has said no and learn to “read the room.”

Understand the business behind creative leadership

In an interview with Marc Jacobs, the presenter focuses on the pressure placed on creative directors when a brand’s sales falter. A creative vision alone cannot determine results; leadership, pricing, distribution, logistics, customer experience, and the company’s broader strategy also matter. Replacing creative directors without addressing those factors may miss the real problems.

Explore fashion’s backstage

The presenter highlights several people and organizations that reveal how the fashion and luxury industries work behind the scenes:

• Lucien Pagès is presented as a prominent fashion public-relations professional whose agency works with major brands. Viewers are encouraged to notice practical details in videos about his work, such as seating plans, office routines, industry vocabulary, and event organization.
• Loïc Prigent is recommended for interviews, backstage access, and coverage of the people who make fashion shows and weeks happen.
• MM, a Paris-based agency whose founders are interviewed by System, works across fashion, campaigns, shows, art, music, and print projects. The presenter admires its cross-disciplinary approach and the founders’ views on print and creativity in the era of AI.
• Guillaume Delacroix and DLX are presented as an example of influential fashion professionals using their reach to support communities and speak out politically. The presenter praises Delacroix’s public stance against far-right politics and his supportive posts about Brazil.

Pay attention to cultural differences

Communication and workplace norms vary between countries, including within Europe. Anyone hoping to work internationally should observe how people communicate and behave in the local environment while remaining true to themselves.

Build access through observation and participation

Reading and watching are not the only ways to learn. The presenter emphasizes observing people in professional settings, attending events where possible, and noticing how the industry operates. Understanding its rules and culture can help someone later challenge or improve existing processes.

Professional platforms can also reveal opportunities and career paths. Publications, agencies, newsletters, interviews, and social accounts can help viewers identify roles and credits, and consider the many possible jobs in fashion, including writing, design, editing, styling, and production.

Speakers and Sources

Primary speaker

• Mel, presenter of the Fashion Telecourse video

People and organizations discussed or recommended

• Maria da Conceição Tavares
• Michel Maffesoli
• Roda Viva
• It’s Nice That
• John Galliano
• System magazine
• Marc Jacobs
• The Business of Fashion
• Lucien Pagès and the Lucien Pagès agency
• Madame Figaro
• Loïc Prigent and his fashion-reporting channel
• MM agency and its founders
• Guillaume Delacroix and DLX
• Michel Gaubert
• Paulo Hats
• Perestroika
• Sacai, Loewe, Maison Margiela, Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garçons, and Yohji Yamamoto
• Meta and Instagram, discussed in the video’s political context