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But as we stood fawning over the intricate sequin work and a silver disco ball-like jacket less than 96 hours before the show, they were still works in progress. Artisans passed around trays of Haribo gummies and geared up for a weekend of work as well as last-minute touches through Monday evening.
The artisans at the haute couture ateliers draw up patterns and base fabrics before sending them to Le 19M – the complex on the 19th arrondissement that houses 11 maisons d’arts and 700 artisans working with and under the umbrella of luxury house Chanel. Le 19M’s 1,400 mains are then responsible for embellishing, feathering and camellia-ing the model’s wares before ferrying everything back to Rue Cambon. There, the feathered and sequinned panels are assembled, and looks are given the green light.In spite of all of this, the atmosphere in ateliers Maria and Josette – named after their intrepid lead artisans – is one of unexpected calm. These two ateliers are responsible for flou – the fluid and draped fabrics – and suiting, respectively.
When asked how she preserves this tranquillity, Josette replies with a smile, “Because we’re professional, we’re organised and experienced. We stay here as long as it needs to get finished.”
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On a day like ours, Josette has no routine. “All looks are different. But whatever’s late, that’s a priority,” she tells Style, pointing to a table on the wall behind her where models are matched to each of the 11 looks. Some embroideries are still being worked on at Le 19M, which will have to be assembled last-minute – her main source of stress. “We have to do what we can do now, and I have to arrange the schedule to see who comes in, so everyone is well-balanced in terms of hours. It’s all about anticipating,” she says.
Indeed, though the work is meticulous and intense, much of it is prepared for, meaning the team seldom goes into crisis mode and pulls all-nighters only in the event of a “catastrophe”.
When asked what her favourite Chanel look of all time is, Josette’s answer is somewhat surprising, given what the house is best known for: “It’s the neoprene looks with concrete beads [during Karl Lagerfeld’s time], because it was such an innovative fabric.” This season, her favourite look is No 23, which involves a pencil skirt fashioned out of a macramé-like natural fibre.Maria, who arrived at Chanel 33 years ago and now also oversees her eponymous atelier, echoes this sentiment. For her, the work requires a desire for perfection, and within that an intimate form of intuition – especially when pieces are being made for the house’s private clients.
According to Maria, couture’s “search for perfection” is a bigger challenge than its time restraints: “The work has to be impeccable. For our clients, if one shoulder is a little lower than the other, we lift it. If there’s a volume that’s irregular, we erase it or balance it. You correct little things.”
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Usually, clients come to the ateliers for three fittings, but the number varies often – particularly when brides are involved: “If there are too many fittings it can [strain] the fabric, but if she’s not satisfied, you continue. That’s haute couture.”
Maria manages 38 people in her three rooms; she rarely gets to do the craft herself nowadays, as her weeks are filled with quality checks, admin and paperwork. But this changes during couture production when she’s able to get hands-on. “I love it and miss it so much, so whenever I can, I seize the opportunity,” she says.
When asked whether haute couture is fashion or art, she replies without hesitation: “It’s art, and it’s our luck to be able to do such beautiful things. It’s not a routine, it’s a never-ending pursuit for the beautiful, the most refined. The more refined it is, the more we like it. It’s millimetre by millimetre.”
Nonetheless, Maria’s favourite part of the process is both humorous, bittersweet and relatable: “There’s so much work, it’s like a child – it’ll sound strange, but it’s when you finish the dress, and it leaves.”
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