ANDRÉ AZOULAY

"I love Marseille. Every time I go there, I feel a strong emotion. Since ancient times, this city has welcomed thousands of people from far and wide on a daily basis, and accepted them without demanding that they lose their identity. The city is rich in these mixed histories; we're far from clichés. Marseille is a muse. A vibrant heart of the Mediterranean basin. I'm an activist for the Mediterranean, believing in a rendezvous with history, a shared destiny and a shared reality. Euroméditerranée is more than just a free-trade concept, more than just rhetoric. One day, it will take on an institutional and political dimension, rich in extraordinary human depth. Seven hundred million people live on the shores of the Mediterranean, in forty countries. Three thousand NGOs have woven a formidable network of mutual aid. Fashion embodies this fusion. The experience we have had with the Maison de la Création and the meeting of all these young designers is a beacon of hope. In a natural way, it expresses the creative synthesis of the Mediterranean. Bubbling, undulating. It symbolizes the freshness and optimism of young people who are not bound by passport or religion. What they have in common is the power of life that drives them. This convergence is remarkable. It's essential to maintain this dynamic in the future."