Garance Dorè on Her Departure and What's Next for the Fashion Industry

At the apogee of her career, street style blogger Garance Doré was tapped by some of the biggest fashion houses to sit front row at shows and presentations. Then, in 2015, after a decade in the industry, she left the entire fashion world behind, closing the doors on her global career and trading her New York City home for a quieter life in Los Angeles. After suffering with anxiety and panic attacks, the digital fashion icon—who the New York Times once called the "guardian of all style"—saw giving it all up as her only option. Now, five years after her departure, the author of Love Style Life is opening up about new life, the pandemic, and the changes she hopes to see in the fashion industry.

L'OFFICIEL: How do you react to this incredibly strange period of time in the world?

I am in Scotland right now and I am all trying to understand what a strange dystopian future is predicted for us.

L'O: It seems we will have to get used to living with uncertainty and constant change. It's about changes in your life and I want to talk…

My life, I would say, changes quite often. I dart from one country to another. [I] entered the world of fashion and left it more than ten years later. My condition is probably my destiny. It seems to me that the theme of change haunts me.

L'O: I will admit, your departure from the fashion world was very unexpected. I imagine it was not a very easy decision and it required a lot of reflection. Where did you find the courage to say "stop"?

I was completely burned out. Believe me, I never accept change as a heroine—strong and determined. But in this case, I was committed to it because I felt like I couldn't grow anymore. In the situation I was in, success meant nothing to me anymore. I realized that unlike my friends I am very vulnerable to suffering. Many of them feel similar, but are able to live with that emotion.

L'O: What does your life look like now, leaving the fashion industry behind?

With the onset of the pandemic and isolation, I had time to rethink and reschedule my working life, which was sorely needed. I have created an online community that is like a valuable garden to me. I enjoy talking about topics about the world where we are heading and how to be part of the solution, not the problem.

L'O: I read your interviews in which you openly share the behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry, the marketing implications of opinion leaders, the negative side of Instagram, and other harmful aspects of the fashion world. What important changes need to take place for the fashion industry to function humanely and ethically?

If it were up to me, I would go back to the time when all the fashion industry conglomerates started. I would like to see if better ways can be found to recover more of the balance between profit and creativity. Today, we live in a market society where everything is "for profit." Even dating is seen as a market! I think these dark times can be a great place to start a new discussion.

L'O: While the fashion market seems to be changing from the outside, fashion designers and brands have been exploring fashion sustainability topics very intensively lately. And that makes me strongly doubt—how much are all these shiny, silver, glittering words that are a great opportunity for fashion brands to enhance their image against consumers. Do you think it’s a sincere desire and determination for a better tomorrow after all?

Actually, I looked into it. In my opinion, here and again we are facing a real problem with the size of the companies and the profits they have to make, and this is always contrary to sustainability, unless we completely rethink the system. If you want to sell more, you will pollute more, even if the clothes you sell are made of sustainable fabrics. This is not to say that brands are inauthentic, although some are, just their mission is doomed to failure.

L'O: From your words, I understand that you are deeply disappointed in the fashion industry, and when you think about it, it has been such an important part of your recent life. What is your relationship with fashion right now? Do you buy fashion at all?

I rarely buy. I’ve talked about “eternal creations” for many years and that’s still my philosophy. It’s important for me to find things I love and wear them over the years. I’m not killing myself in search of sustainable brands because, as I told you before, I’m not sure all the messages equate to real results. I think if my approach is justified, then I am part of the solution.

L'O: 14 years have passed since you founded Garance Doré, now the Doré online platform, which, incidentally, was and is one of my favorites and was conditionally my teacher. How has the platform changed and affected you personally over the years?

Doré is part of me, but lately I have felt the need to get closer to my audience, so I set up a private community. I probably needed a connection and a place where I would feel safe sharing my thoughts. It’s a paid platform, so there’s a smaller audience than my social media platforms. I am "here and now," and it fills me with joy. This is the same topic I talked about earlier. Higher numbers do not always mean more success and joy! I hope fashion will pay attention to this.

L'O: What motivates and excites you? what topics interest you?

Anything related to growth to becoming a more full-fledged, more loving, more articulate, more artistic person. I just want to bring as much light as possible into the world around me.

L'O: What do you value most in your life right now?

Freedom, connection, love, consciousness.

L'O: What projects are you currently working on?

I finally need to start writing my second book! I've been talking about this for too long. Not only that, I’m in love. That's also a great project, isn’t it?