B E A U T I F U L LY D E S I G N E D A N D M A D E I N F R A N C E
ABOUT SOPHIE HALLETTE
Sophie Hallette creates and manufactures exceptional laces and tulles s i n c e 1 8 8 7 . B e a u t i f u l l y c r a f t e d i n Fr a n c e m a i n l y u s i n g t r a d i t i o n a l L e a v e r s looms, the savoir -faire of Sophie Hallette is woven into the fabric of Haute Couture, Premium ready to wear and fine lingerie around the world.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF WOVEN LACE
Caud ry
s, Calai n i y tor st fac Century r fi e Th 9th mid 1
Menders in a N ottingham fact ory in the late 19th century
Bobbinet looms in Caudry in c:1880
130 YEARS OF LACE & TULLE :
Etienne Lescroart buys the company from widow Eugene Hallette
Bruno Lescroart succeeds his father Etienne. He begins building Sophie Hallette the acclaimed brand that it is today.
1942
1982
1887
1909
1967
1985
Eugene Hallette establishes his own maison which later becomes Sophie Hallette.
Eugene Hallette dies in 1909. His widow continues with the business until 1942
The company opens a showroom in Paris
Relocation in MÊlayers premises, former factory of Bobbinet’s tulle.
S T O R Y O F T H E FA M I LY
Start of a 10 year refurbishment work of hundred years old Bobbinet looms, making Sophie Hallette one of the worldwide leader for Bobbinet tulle manufacturing.
Romain succeeds his father Bruno as CEO of the company and begins a program of modernization.
Romain’s sister, Maud, joins as Marketing Director and opens up new markets
1996
2000
2003
1990
1996
The Company purchases its own dyeing plant, La CaudrĂŠsienne and becomes vertically integrated.
Purchase of the Riechers Marescot an important lace house based in the city of Calais
RECENT YEARS
Start of a R&D program with the aim of modernizing the Leavers looms.
The craftsmanship of Sophie Hallette is featured on Kate’s Middleton wedding dress.
1990
2011 2007
2010
Inauguration of the new Paris showroom Sophie Hallette and Riechers Marescot.
Inauguration of a new factory in La CaudrĂŠsienne..
SOPHIE HALLETTE ARE THE BIGGEST LACE MAKER IN FRANCE
An autonomous, fully integrated group : • • • • •
Independant and family owned 250 people, mainly in Caudry (north of France) Turnover 2011: 24,6 billion Euros Turnover 2012: 26 billion Euros More than 80% of the turnover is export in 60 countries of the world
Great export National Market E.U
THE ART OF LACE MAKING : M U LT I P L E A N D C O M P L E X T A S K S
A few figures : • • • • • •
18 steps are necessary for production More than 25 persons dedicated to each lace production It takes minimum 3 months to elaborate a draft and technical drawing for a lace design It takes 70 days to make one piece of lace It takes 7 years to train a lacemaker It takes 2 years to train a mender
I . DESIGNING THE LACE STEP ONE THE DRAFT
les métiers The Craftsmanship
l’esquisseur The designer
le metteu The
I . DESIGNING THE LACE S T E P T W O T H E T E C H N I C A L D R AW I N G
iers
nship
l’esquisseur The designer
le metteur en carte The drafter
I I . T H E L E AV E R S AT E L I E R THE LACEMAKER
Tr a i n e d f o r 7 y e a r s b e f o r e b e i n g a u t o n o m o u s , t h e l a c e m a k e r i s n a m e d t h e a r i s t o c r a t o f t h e l a c e i n d u s t r y. • Because of the complexity of the loom he gets assigned on the same pair of looms for his whole career. •
le tulliste The lacemaker
I I . T H E L E AV E R S AT E L I E R THE LACEMAKER
A Leavers loom and the pierced cards
Inside the loom, the 5000 shuttles with their bobbins
The lacemaker is replacing the set of shuttles
I I . T H E L E AV E R S AT E L I E R T H E L O O M P R E PA R AT I O N
The wheeling : filling in the bobbins by hand
I I . T H E L E AV E R S AT E L I E R P R O D U CT I O N : T H E B O B B I N ET LO OM
The Bobbinet loom : the Leavers loom ancestor
l’esquisseur
III . CONTROLING AND HAND MENDING The designer
le tulliste The lacemaker
la raccommodeuse The mender
Each piece of lace or tulle is beeing carefully controled and hand mend
le metteu The
le col The
I V. T H E D Y E I N G P L A N T l’esquisseur
le metteur en carte
la raccommodeuse
le coloriste
The designer
le tulliste The lacemaker
The colour laboratory
The mender
The «industrial» dyeing
The drafter
The colorist
V. F I N I S H I N G : U LT I M AT E C O N T R O L A N D H A N D M E N D I N G
T H E PA R I S S H OW R O O M 3, RUE SAINT FIACRE
I N T E R P R E TAT I O N S
S O P H I E H A L L E T T E O N T H E R O YA L W E D D I N G FO R T H E D U C H ES S O F CAM B R I D G E APRIL 29TH 2011
DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE IN SOPHIE HALLETTE AT Q U E E N ’ S D I A M O N D J U B I L E E
AW 1 2 / 1 3 : VA L E N T I N O
AW 1 2 / 1 3 : D O L C E & G A B B A N A
SS 13: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
SS 13: DIOR
S S 1 3 : VA L E N T I N O
SS 13: ERDEM
S S 1 3 : JAS O N WU
SS 13: NINA RICCI
FW 1 3 / 14 : D O LC E & G A B BA N A
FW 13/14: ELIE SAAB
FW 13/14: LOUIS VUITTON
FW 13/14: SACAI
FW 13/14: STELLA MCCARTNEY
FW 1 3 / 14 : TOM FO R D
FW 13/14: MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
FW 13/14: WUNDERKIND
SPONSORING Royal Academy of Fine Arts Anvers 2012
MA R I US JA N USAUS KAS
SPONSORING M A Fa s h i o n C e n t r a l S a i n t M a r t i n s L o n d o n 2 0 1 3
ELENA CREHAN
SPONSORING Royal College of Art London 2012
A L EXA N D E R JAM ES
HIROAKI KANEI
SPONSORING L o n d o n C o l l e g e o f Fa s h i o n 2 0 1 2
C O L L A B O R AT I V E P R O J E C T B A FA S H I O N AND CONTOUR
SPONSORING Parsons the New School for Design NY 2012
JA D E R OZ E N B R O E K
SPONSORING Fe s t i v a l d ’ H y è r e s 2 0 1 2
CÉLINE MÉTEIL
SPONSORING Fe s t i v a l d ’ H y è r e s 2 0 1 3
Y VO N N E KWO K