Casa93 founder and director awarded French National Order of Merit medal

The Ministry Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities of France, represented by minister Isabelle Rome, has awarded Nadine Gonzalez, founder and director of Casa93, the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite, which translates to the National Order of Merit.

The National Order of Merit is a universal order, which distinguishes people from all fields of work. It is the second highest national order that honours French citizens alongside the national Legion of Honour.

To obtain the blue ribbon, ten years of service is required, with a threefold purpose: to reflect the dynamism of French society; to set an example; and to recognise the diversity of the country's society, its cultures, its social origins, its new economic sectors (new technologies, internet, telecommunications, etc.) and the efforts of the younger generation.

As with the Legion of Honour, the National Order of Merit medal guarantees genuine equality of opportunity, so that any deserving citizen, regardless of his or her place in society, can be recognised by the nation.

And it is this equality of opportunity that is precisely at the heart of the Casa 93 school. Founded in September 2017 by Nadine Gonzalez, Casa 93, located in Saint-Ouen, France has managed to make a name for itself in the ultra-elitist world of fashion schools in the country.

The school is based on a social project, supported by the association ModaFusion, whose objectives are to identify, train, promote and find a place in the job market for young talents who have left the traditional school system in France.

"Casa 93 is a school of life, a unique place where you can regain your self-confidence. We train young people who are far from the school system or far from employment in another way of looking at fashion, and the same thing with our partners," Nadine Gonzalez said upon receiving her medal.

All those I see in front of me are more than friends or family... They have all, at some point, actively contributed to this work that you are rewarding today, Madam Minister, they have all helped me, really, in this project that has sometimes been so difficult to achieve. So this medal is first of all a token for you...".

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and editing from French into English: Veerle Versteeg.