A graduate of the Institut Supérieur des Carrières Artistiques (ICART Paris) in 1983, Nathalie Dufour also studied at the École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and the École du Louvre, Contemporary Art Department in 1985.
She began her career as head of the Fashion Department within the Plastic Arts Delegation of the Ministry of Culture and Communication in 1988. In 1989, with the support of Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture, and Pierre Bergé, President of DÉFI, she founded the National Association of Fashion Arts.
Initially conceived as a structure to identify and launch young designers onto the French and international fashion scene, the creation of ANDAM represented a decisive step in promoting young designers in a world that was still relatively unstructured compared, for example, to that of contemporary art. For 35 years, ANDAM has brought together major players in the fashion industry, both institutional – the Ministry of Culture and DEFI – and private – BALENCIAGA, CHANEL, CHLOÉ, THE PIERRE BERGÉ FOUNDATION – YVES SAINT LAURENT, LES GALERIES LAFAYETTE, HERMÈS, INSTAGRAM, KERING, GOOGLE FRANCE, LACOSTE, LONGCHAMP, LVMH, L’ORÉAL PARIS, MYTHERESA, OTB, PREMIERE CLASSE, SAINT LAURENT, SWAROVSKI, TOMORROW – to carry out coordinated, cross-functional, and strategic actions with them aimed at supporting young designers and strengthening Paris’s reputation as a fashion capital. Each year, through its five awards and a total prize of €700,000, ANDAM provides financial and logistical support to designers and entrepreneurs who contribute to the dynamism of the cultural industry that is fashion.
Beyond its awards, thanks to its network and history, ANDAM works with all fashion stakeholders and professionals to develop cross-disciplinary initiatives and create collaborations between designers and institutions, industry professionals, and patrons, all contributing to the vitality of French creativity.
Nathalie Dufour is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hyères Festival and the UFAC (French Federation of Arts and Arts), and has been a Knight of the Legion of Honor since 2016 and of the Arts and Letters since 2018.
