What are the Itinérance project’s main initiatives, activities?
Since 2018, the ITINÉRANCE association has brought together a community of craftswomen and changemakers in the Mediterranean.
Craftswomen in the Mediterranean basin are faced with major economic, social and environmental challenges. These economic & social inequalities are accentuated by climate change.
The diversity of traditional craftsmanship in these countries is on a decline, replaced by industrial measures with high environmental and social impact. Yet craftsmen are true transmitters of memory. For lack of being able to develop a viable economic model, some do not have enough orders and therefore their incredible know-how extinguishes.
Through the gesture of know-how, ITINÉRANCE weaves links to give visibility, economic and creative power to artisans in the Mediterranean basin.
Who does the association work with locally?
Itinérance works mainly with women in order to re-valorise their traditional skills by bringing them into a contemporary context through the co-creation. Women represent 80% of the workforce in the fashion industry. This industry is the 2nd largest employer of women in emerging countries.
Itinérance is also a large ecosystem of fashion and design schools, incubators, experts, social entrepreneurs, NGOs and designers working all together.
What is the impact of your project?
We have 3 missions:
Our social mission: unite and support communities of craftswomen
ITINÉRANCE brings together invisible and isolated women to connect them and forge links between them and the actors of the fashion industry. Craftswomen are mapped to generate new economic and creative opportunities.
Our Cultural Mission: raise awareness & promote
Intangible cultural heritage is a key factor in maintaining diversity.Each year, a community of craftswomen is highlighted by co-creating a capsule collection called "edition". Through exhibitions and media content, their know-how, their heritage and their cultures are highlighted and disseminated to the general public.
Our Pedagogic Mission: Transmit & Train
ITINÉRANCE values the role of fashion and design schools in the transmission of ancestral and contemporary know-how, as well as the importance of training new generations in current issues. The association offers training to students and professionals.
How are disseminated the the association’s activities?
Through exhibitions and collaborations with local museums such as the MUCEM in Marseille and through regular publications on our social media Instagram and website. We also have regular press releases both in France and abroad.
The whole co-creative process with local collaborators is documented using different media:
audio podcasts, videos and photos.
How are your activities financed ?
On a long term vision The NGO is based on a hybrid business model plan. The revenues earned will be put into the social mission of the NGO so as to scale up the impact targeted.
Currently at the early stage, the activity is financed on project basis by philanthropic funds Fonds de dotation Maison Mode Méditerranée”, Puig Foundation. Our objective is to mix private & public funds.
What are the association’s short and long term objectives (within 2 or 3 years) ?
We currently run a program “Invisible Beauty Makers” of the Puig Foundation to co-create projects with the group and scale-up our impact (3 missions are concerned).
The goal is to develop a model that can be duplicated in the industry (fashion & luxury) and achieve long term partnerships with key players.
We keep providing workshops with various schools like IFA Istanbul for instance, and plan to release a professional course on cultural heritage & sustainability through craftsmanship.
Securing a permanent revenue is key for the NGO continuity..
Meanwhile we keep sourcing communities of craftswomen on an ongoing basis.
Further readings :
Itinérance website:
Instagram: @ itinerance_mediterranee