Fleur Magazine by Kiều Trúc Ngân Nguyễn

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J UNE . 2021 MONTHLY RELE ASED

E LIE SA AB: “ THINKING OF THE WOMAN!” DESIGNERS WITH E MBROIDE RY TECHNIQUES THE E ARLY EMBROIDERY INDUSTRY

PROF ILE E lie Saab’s Hau te C ou tu re

INTE RV IE W Th in kin g of t he be au t y of wome n !

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I NFO RMATIV E A RTIC LE 12

Hau te Cou tu re E m b ro ide r y te c h n iqu e s

04 05

02 03

H I STORICA L A RTICLE Fro m an Empre ss to a Marqu is: T he origin of Hau te C ou tu ru e E m broide r y

E X POSE Fra n ç ois Le sage : “ Th e re is n o Co utu re with ou t e mbroide r y, an d no e mbroide r y with ou t Le sage ” 4

I NFO RMATIV E A RTIC LE

E m b ro id er y is to Hau te C ou tu re wha t Fireworks are to Bastille Day

H I STORICA L A RTICLE T he e arly e mbroide r y indu str y

HOW TO 28

C re atin g C ou tu re E mb ro id er y t h at ’s righ t for you

INTE RV IE W 32

Pin o Grasso Ha ute Co u tu re Embroide r y

08 09

ROU ND -U P D esign e rs with em broide r y te c h n iqu e s 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Elie Saab’s Haute Couture

Saab got his start designing elaborate bridal gowns, and he has grown his business slowly, steadily, and internationally with dazzling getups that pair the luxury of Eastern embellishment with Western silhouettes. “I like feminine elegance, not extravagance,” Saab has said. “I try to give good taste.” In 1997 he was invited to show in Rome by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; three years later the elite Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture asked him to present in Paris, naming him a membre correspondant in 2006. (Saab is the first Arab to be admitted into the organization.)

“I think working in fashion was more my destiny than anything else,” explains Elie Saab, the Lebanese designer who, by the tender age of 9, was making clothes for his family from materials he found around the house. Apart from a single year spent at a fashion school in Paris, Saab is selftaught—and focused. In 1982, just 18, he made his debut in war-torn Beirut.

“Elegance is a statement, an attitude. Elegant women are women of character with confidence”

“There had never been such a presentation in Lebanon,” he later recalled. “Models didn’t exist. I found girls who worked in advertising and students. I suspect most, like me, had never even been to a fashion show.”

“The code of my collections will always remain the same,” the glamour-focused Saab has stated, and his clients, A-listers and otherwise, wouldn’t want that to change. Queen Rania of Jordan chose an Elie Saab design for her husband’s 1999 coronation; and in 2002 Oscar winner Halle Berry wore Saab’s flirtatious flower-embroidered burgundy dress to the awards ceremony, making Saab a diva’s go-to red carpet designer overnight. “She wore it out of love, not because a stylist told her to wear it. That is the force behind wearing my designs,” Saab told The Telegraph. “Everything comes from the heart.”

STORY ABOUT THE BRAND Elie Saab is a Lebanese fashion designer born in Beirut in 1964. In 1982, at 18 years old, the designer founded his eponymous couture atelier in Beirut. Surrounded by fifteen craftsmen, within a few months he presented his first collection to the public, and his talent was well-received. Fascinated by architecture and design and attached to his Lebanese roots, Elie Saab unites the Orient with the Occident in his designs. With taffeta, organza, sable and chiffon, the designer uses fine materials which he embellishes with embroidery, sequins, Swarovski crystals and precious gemstones. Elie Saab opened his boutique and couture showrooms in 2007 in the heart of the Triangle d’Or at 1 Rond-point des Champs-Elysées in Paris. In 2011, the designer’s first fragrance was released simply named, Elie Saab.

Author Author’s name

ELIE SA AB Born 4 July 1964

Lebansese Fashion designer

Saab started his business in the early 1980s and specialized in bridal couture. He is the first Arab to be admitted to the fashion industry’s governing body, Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

1982 Opened his very first couture atelier in Beirut managing over dozen of employees

2002 Burgundy gown, worn by Halle Berry for Oscar ceremony gave flight to Elie Saab recognition, crossing Middle East and other parts of the world.

1998 Opened his ready-to-wear in Milan, also made his fashion show that was attended by Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

2011 Elie Saab launched his fragrance “Le Parfum” that created history by becoming highest seller in 15 countries.

Name of the interviewer

Thinking of the beauty of women! DESIGN, FASHION AND FRAGRANCE IN A HEART-TO-HEART CONVERSATION

We are in Dubai for the launch of the new fragrance… Why did you choose Dubai, and tell us more about the fragrance ?

The beauty of a woman has always been a source of inspiration to exquisite creations; from the melodies composed by musicians to the songs written by poets, to the works of art by famous artists across history. But when it comes to couture and beautiful dresses there are the creative hands of Lebanese designer Elie Saab working to produce something quite special.

We took the main picture in Marrakech, and we wanted to capture the light around the fragrance. When you smell the fragrance for the first time you will feel that it’s surrounded by light, therefore we chose Dubai, because it is the only Arab country that has the exact amount of light that we want, and we saw that we are surrounded by a contemporary mix of vocabulary here and that we are only 5 minutes away from the desert, so we can see the light from elsewhere too.

We had the pleasure to meet the designer and enjoy a profound chat from the heart that was full of hope, humility and love.

Who do you dedicate this fragrance to?

We tried to design a trip and a memorable experience for journalists where the significance was to witness the light of sunrise at dawn in the desert and the sunset and to see the difference between the contemporary city and the desert.

I dedicate it to every woman who loves Elie Saab and I know that not all women are able to buy the fashion of Elie Saab, so we want them to try this perfume, which has one of my touches.

Perfumes are often associated with feelings and childhood memories, what We tried design athat tripremains and a memorais the firsttoperfume in your ble experience for journalists where the memory, and how do these memories significance to witness the light of reflect on thewas perfume compositions that sunrise at dawn in the desert and the sunyou create? set and to see the difference between the contemporary city the desert. Since we started theand project of creating fragrances, there was a unique scent that was always attached to my memory. I Perfumes are often associated with still remember the days when we were feelings children and and childhood our housememories, in Damourwhat in is the firstwas perfume that remains in your Lebanon surrounded by stretches of memory, and how do these orange blossom trees and onmemories the balcoreflect on the perfume compositions ny of our spacious house we had lotsthat of you create? Jasmine shrubs. It was that unforgettable combined scent that reminds me of Since of creating springwe andstarted that isthe stillproject completely stuck in fragrances, there was a unique scentany that my mind, and now when we create was attached to my I new always perfume, there are twomemory. main scents still the days when we werethe that remember are at the heart of our fragrance: children and orange our house in Damour in jasmine and blossom. Lebanon was surrounded by stretches of orange blossom trees and on the balcony of our spacious house we had lots of Jasmine shrubs. It was that unforgettable combined scent that reminds me of spring and that is still completely stuck in my mind, and now when we create any new perfume, there are two main scents that are at the heart of our fragrance: the jasmine and orange blossom.

What are the challenges you face as a couturier today as the market is becoming more competitive? To be honest, I do not face any difficulties, as Haute Couture will remain as long as women remain. There is a demand for this type of dressing especially on important occasions for every woman, so as long as there is a demand for haute couture, this craft will continue. The issue of competition has always been around for many years. Yet the craftsmanship of making haute couture at the Elie Saab workshop still preserves and guards its customs and traditions, although some other fashion houses have diverted from craftsmanship and manual work in the creation and savoir-faire of couture. I still recall the echoes that we heard after showing the collection where some said that Elie Saab was able to return the concept of couture and high fashion to Paris again because some of the rest presented fashion that felt like ready-to-wear. Getting back to the dream! What is it that you haven’t achieved yet? There is a long list! There are a lot of things we want to do this year, such as partnering with Simonetta for children’s fashion, furniture projects that we want to launch at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in June. We also have new hotel projects that we will announce soon. 11

This year will be busy with new launches. They say artists create when they are in a certain mood. What is the state of mind you’re in when you’re inspired to design? Thinking of the beauty of women! Forget the stories that we tell when we launch a new collection each season, these are stories we draw the inspiration from to change the colours, shapes and cuts of the pieces and in a way to print them in the memory, but the main concern for me is that the beauty of women should always be the pillar and focal point of any collection that I design. These psychological states experienced by some talented artists were from the past. Elie Saab is a person who has to balance between creativity and business management. I have more than 25 people working at the Atelier after me, so if I was in a certain psychological state, we wouldn’t know how to work. At Elie Saab the error is forbidden, that is why I have to personally validate all at the end of the day. The designer is not like a poet, a musician or an artist, where they work on and create on their own. For us, we create and operate in a different way surrounded by a big team.

What do you say No to? Frankly, I never used to say no, but now I say it a lot. First, I say no because I have to maintain the status that I earned. Maintaining and guarding success is something that I never compromise. There are times where you get people coming to you with new concepts and ideas that are not relevant, and here I say No. Saying No is difficult sometimes, but with experience, the word now comes out naturally, and when I am responsible for the result and I know it will be a failed result, I reject the idea from the beginning. Eventually, people will know that I was right. What are the life lessons you want to share with us? Life teaches us lessons every day! A person dies while learning, and if anyone says otherwise, he is not an ambitious person. No one is greater than life. 12

How do you encourage yourself to work every day, even on dif cult days when you feel like you want to stop? At one point, you just reach a stage where you feel the necessity of continuing to succeed; this matter keeps you under great pressure and a daily challenge striving for the better and to achieve more. This sometimes becomes addictive. How do you motivate yourself to stay persistent?

If I hadn’t been a determined person I wouldn’t have succeeded in life.

Now I think a lot more about others than I think about myself, I feel that there are a lot of responsibilities towards the team that work at the atelier. No one is exempted from making mistakes, and even with all the precautions that we take, we still make mistakes but we should always make sure that our mistakes are minor or this will affect the thousands of employees who work for Elie Saab.

I know how Beirut is very precious to you. Do you have hope that it will go back to its glory? Of course, I have hope! What message would you like to tell the Arab women in the region? Elie Saab owes a lot to the Arab woman in general, since she is the first woman who believed in him, worked with him, and invested with him. I say that our Arab women are women who have no equal. My weakness is the Arab woman, I have accompanied her from the renaissance to the present day. What Elie Saab gave to the Arab women made the rest of the fashion houses look at the Arab women in a completely different way, where they now know her value and are working hard to enter the Arab region after Elie Saab opened the way and was the pioneer to do so.

The world of Haute Couture is magnificent and immense. We have already talked to you about the history of Haute Couture, what should brands do in order to be called Haute Couture and which fashionhouses actually are called Haute Couture. Today we would like to go a little bit deeper and share with you a small part of this beautiful world – Haute Couture embroidery techniques. There are many of them and we will cover just the tiny part, of course. Nevertheless, a very important and exciting part.

Haute Couture Embroidery techniques

1. TAMBOUR BEADING With roots from Asia, Tambour Beading is a very ancient embroidery technique, which has been used since the 16th century. Tambour beading evolved from tambour thread embroidery and is named from the drum shaped frame originally used - ‘tambour’ is the French word for drum. It was considered an exotic and exciting craft, and became a very popular pastime amongst women. Using a sharp hook, instead of a needle, there is only one stitch to master in tambour embroidery. Work is made on the back of fabric, whilst the design will show off on the other side. One more very important moment – the fabric should be tightly stretched. This technique can be used with beads and sequins, or without – to create a lacy effect. The advantage of Tambour Beading embroidery is the speed - as the stitch is continuous, this allows embroiderers to stitch much quicker than traditional beading methods. 15

2. GOLDWORK EMBROIDERY Dating back over 1000 years, with its roots in religious and royal embroidery, goldwork has a luxurious and opulent quality. Just as Tambour Beading, Goldwork Embroidery comes from the East. The same silver and gold thread were also used heavily in the most expensive tapestries, especially during the Renaissance. Goldwork is always surface embroidery and free embroidery; the vast majority is a form of laid work or couching; that is, the gold threads are held onto the surface of the fabric by a second thread, usually of fine silk. The ends of the thread, depending on type, are simply cut off, or are pulled through to the back of the embroidery and carefully secured with the couching thread. A tool called a mellore or a stiletto is used to help position the threads and create the holes needed to pull them through. Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads, or threads with metal leaf wound round a normal textile thread. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term “goldwork” is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads have never been entirely gold; they have usually been gold-coated silver (silver-gilt) or cheaper metals, and even then the “gold” often contains a very low percent of real gold. Most metal threads are available in silver and sometimes copper as well as gold; some are available in colors as well. A new coating technology however enables the direct coating of 24K gold on a filament yarn without any other metal or adhesive layer underneath. 16

3. SILKSHADING EMBROIDERY

4. COMBINATION

Silk Shading can be sometimes called “painting with the needle”, because the emphasis is on blending color and understanding tonal shade, which creates especially real view.

Combination of machine and hand embroidery helps you to reduce the time and costs for production. Machine embroidery is an embroidery process whereby a sewing machine or embroidery machine is used to create patterns on textiles. There are a lot of new techniques in machine embroidery that imitate hand embroidery: sequins, cross stitch, ribbons, cords, lace and etc. We can create fabric with machine embroidery and decorate it by hand embroidery elements.

As the majority of techniques, Silk Shading is also coming from Asia, more precisely – China. This is an embroidery technique, when stitches are put by small vertical dashes and picture is embroidered little by little by seams. Long and short stitches are used in this technique to create realistic colour blending and is often referred to as painting with thread. The results are magnificent and effective. It can also be used with other embroidery techniques, for example Goldwork, to obtain greater results.

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FROM AN EMPRESS TO A MARQUIS:

The Origins of Haute Couture Embroidery

According to legend, the humble silkworm was discovered in China in 2,700BC by the Empress Xi Ling Shi and the techniques of silk manufacture were developed by her ladies-in-waiting. This was a fiercely guarded secret by the successive Chinese dynasties who held a monopoly on the luxurious silk fabrics and exquisite embroideries exported by land and sea along the Silk Road from 1000 BC.

Eventually the secrets of silk production were revealed and they gradually spread across Asia, Africa and Europe. Chinese silk embroidery became renowned and the embroiderers had developed a technique for embroidering with a frame and a hook which travelled across India and the Ottoman Empire where it was mastered by artisans along the way.

In the late 18th century it arrived in France via the port of Marseilles and eventually reached the Royal Court. Madame Pompadour, the official mistress of King Louis XV, embraced this new embroidery technique and it became known as the Point de Pompadour.

In 1865 Louis Ferry Bonnechaux, the mayor of Lunéville, invented an ingenious technique that would exponentially increase the speed of tambour embroidery and literally turn the craft upside-down. Bonnechaux thought to string beads and sequins onto long pompons in advance rather than applying them one by one. He asked his embroiderers to turn their slate frames upside-down and apply the beads and sequins from the underneath, using the tambour hook on the surface to fix them in place with a chain stitch.

In the late 19th century the region of Lorraine was the centre for Broderie Blanche and the delicate white embroidery work from Nancy, Epinal and Lunéville was sold all over the world following the patronage of Queen Marie Antoinette and later the Empress Josephine. Broderie Blanche re-created the effects of traditional needlework lace using tambour embroidery which had been introduced into the ateliers in 1810.

Tambour means drum in French and refers to the technique of stretching the ground fabric tightly across a frame to create the tension needed to embroider a regular chain stitch. The frame may be circular or rectangular. Beads and sequins were added to the repertoire in the late 19th century. The town of Lunéville became so famous for its exquisite embroideries that the technique is known as Lunéville Hook Embroidery in France.

The embroiderers began with transparent tulle and diaphanous organza, muslin and silk, allowing them to see each bead or sequin as it was applied. As Lunéville embroidery was mastered opaque fabrics were introduced, the embroiderers saw the chain stitch on the reverse of the fabric and felt the beads or sequins as they were applied one-by-one. Their finesse was revered and it was said that embroiderers of Lunéville had their eyes in their fingertips.

Author Author’s name

François Lesage

“There is no Couture without embroidery, and no embroidery without Lesage”

Discover the individuals that, like François Lesage, have shaped the Firm’s creative director and designer’s aesthetics, philosophy and work in the series ICONS.

n archive of more than 70 thousand samples, dozens of techniques and countless materials that for decades have taken the trade one step further, combining craftsmanship and innovation. His name is synonymous with prestige and even Karl Lagerfeld said of him that “that there is no Couture without embroidery, and no embroidery without Lesage.” Despite the fact that the figure of François Lesage is the most prominent and prolific of the family saga, the legacy of the Lesage house dates back three generations in time, to the mid XIXth century, where the origins of fashion and Haute Couture as we understand it today lie. It is in this fashion-art hybrid that fills the catwalks, red carpets and lucky wardrobes with creativity and theatricality, in which the Lesage house has played an important role.

It was in 1924 that Albert and Marie-Louise Lesage acquired Albert Michonet’s atelier, founded in 1858. Fabric supplier to Charles Worth, considered the first Haute Couture designer, and embroiderer for the Paris theater companies and the court of Napoleon III, Albert Michonet’s workshop became one of the most important in the French capital. That is why him, a salesperson and director in the textile and fashion sector who joined the workshop as a future successor, and her, in charge of embroidery at the couturière Madeleine Vionnet, saw the potential and bet on the business, renaming it Albert Lesage & Cie.

The roaring twenties smiled at the Lesage house, who designed extravagant and magnificent embroidery for Vionnet, Paquin, Poiret or Schiaparelli, among many others. The rising economy and general optimism and exuberance in the art scene are the main characteristics of this era, that reflected in the embroidery of the house. As an anecdote, and with a future turn of events at least ironic (since almost a century later Chanel will buy the atelier to guarantee its survival) the Lesage workshop never embroidered for the Maison Chanel at this time, due to Coco’s bitter enmity with the designers Poiret and Schiaparelli. Despite the fact that when acquiring Michonet’s atelier, the Lesage diversified and began to produce their own line of fabrics and prints, the two World Wars and its biggest competitor, René Bégué, wreaked havoc on the company during the following decades. It would be Schiaparelli who in the ’30s would save them from ruin. The resulting Cocteau designs and Zodiac collection would become one of the most iconic pieces of the Italian designer.

The 50s was one of the company’s golden ages, which did not stop expanding and gaining prestige.

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But the homogenization of fashion and the irruption of ready-to-wear made the house fall again, which was then recovered in the 70s thanks to Yves Saint Laurent and its ostentatious and refined taste, that considered the lavishly hand-embroidered clothing as the quintessence of luxury.

One of the most iconic pieces by both creators is the jacket inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Lilies, a piece with more than 250 thousand sequins in 22 colors, hundreds of hours of production and valued at more than 100 thousand euros.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Maison Lesage is its innovation and work with exceptional materials: Murano glass for small flowers and imitation of semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli, jade, turquoise rocks with black fabric patterns, artificial stones, pebbles and cabochons. It is known that they crushed gelatin sequins to give them the appearance of hammered coins, combined chenille and mink, and used metal sheets and fish scales.

M A Î T R E D ’A R T Towards the end of his life, François received all sorts of accolades and awards. Fashion museums dedicated exhibitions to him, awarded him the “Legion of Honor” and, shortly before his death, he received the highest cultural distinction in France: being named Maître d’Art, master of the arts. 23

sage

Embroidery

çois n a

is is to to Haute Couture

what Fireworks are to Bastille Day

Observing a Haute Couture garment up close in a museum or gallery is likely to take your breath away. The genius of design, mastery of skills and perhaps most of all, the hours of time dedicated to the embellishments are awe-inspiring. The garments appear as if from a fairytale, conjured by fairy-godmothers and worn by illustrious princesses and queens. As your eyes pour over every last detail, devouring the sequins, beads, ribbons and lace, it seems impossible that it could be made for a real person. And yet they are made for real people and they are made by real people too. Sequestered in the ateliers of Paris are the most skilled and talented professionals of the couture industry, they were once known as les petites mains, and are now celebrated and revered as artisans and masters of their craft. The names of these ateliers and their specialties have become synonymous with Haute Couture such as Maison Lesage and embroidery. 24

The story begins with Michonet, an embroidery studio founded in 1858 and renowned for embellishing the gowns of Charles Frederick Worth, Jeanne Paquin and Madeleine Vionnet. When Albert and Marie-Louise Lesage bought Michonet in 1924 and established Maison Lesage, a new star was born in the City of Lights that continues to sparkle and glisten today. They introduced tambour embroidery to the studio using the Lunéville technique which could respond to the voracious demand for beaded and sequinned gowns during Les Années Folles.

Collaborations with designers brought innovations, such as the Vermicelli technique developed with Madeleine Vionnet and the creative virtuosity of the Zodiac, Circus and Music collections with Elsa Schiaparelli.

In 1949, François Lesage took over Maison Lesage from his parents and he created the embroidered masterpieces for a veritable Hall of Fame of 20th century designers; Pierre Balmain, Cristobal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Jean Patou, Hubert Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent, Christian Lacroix and Chanel. François opened École Lesage in 1992, to ensure the continued teaching of the craft and heritage of haute couture embroidery. The fairytale story of Maison Lesage has another chapter that will feature in a future article, but for now I thought I’d tell you about my own fairytale experience at Maison Lesage… Author Author’s name

the early EMBROIDERY INDUSTRY

ne of the best accounts of the early history of professional fashion embroidery was in Naudin and Simon’s (1996) Les Métiers de L’Élégance. The history entry is only three pages; however, it introduces the origins of professional fashion embroidery. The book was especially useful in discerning the history of the embroidery industry prior to the 14th century. There were other sources available concerning the more contemporary history of the industry.

There are several sources to compile the history of the embroidery industry from the 14th century forward, including Margaret Jourdain’s (1910) The History of English Secular Embroidery and Digby’s (1963) Elizabethan Embroidery. The first event was present as evidence of professional embroiderers occurs before 70 B.C.E. Records from this time report Romans buying embroidered bands. The second significant event in fashion embroidery history, was the transferal of professional embroidery skills to medieval embroiderers, probably from the Byzantines. At this time in France, only monks practiced professional embroidery, as embroidery was restricted to religious use.

By the 13th century, embroidery was no longer only for religious use, allowing for the third major event presented by Naudin and Simon. In 1292, French officials recognized the organization of the community of embroiderers, which indicates that “embroiderer” was officially considered a profession. Between 1471 and 1719, there were statutes that regulated the embroidery profession and how one trained to become an embroiderer.

Current embroiderers and embroidery historians consider the 17th and 18th century in France one of the great periods for professional embroidery. During this time, French royalty and nobility patronized embroiderers for embroidering everything from furniture, to clothing, to wall hangings. Charles Germain de Saint Aubin, one of King Louis XV’s primary embroiderers, wrote one of the most famous treatises of professional embroidery, in 1770. This book, Art of the Embroiderer still used today 27

by many embroiderers, reveals the arrangement of professional embroidery workrooms, the use and shapes of embroidery tools, materials used, and the techniques used in French embroidery. Additionally, Saint Aubin records that King Louis XV and the city of Paris had a system, which ranked embroiderers in levels, dictating what different embroiderers did and how they would work.

In the 18th and 19th century, the Ayrshire district of Scotland developed a fashion embroidery industry of its own. The industry developed because of linen production and weaving in the area. The material was an easily accessible and ideal ground fabric for an embroidery style that was popular at the time for clothing items. The embroidery had previously been expensive and difficult to obtain.

By the late 18th and early 19th century, other individual embroidery industries also employed groups of women and children embroiderers. The women and children worked either from their houses or together in small workrooms. Prior to the Second Empire (1852), women worked at embroidery jobs 12 to 15 hours a day. There was distress in the region because the women were not spending enough time working their other chores.

Children also worked in the Lorraine embroidery trade. Around 1850 the conditions in which the women and children worked began to change. About the same time, the government of the region became more concerned about child labor and the lack of education the girls received while working in embroidery workrooms. The concerns about child welfare and health of workers initialized social changes in the embroidery business over the next century. The increased occurrences of poor treatment of embroidery workers corresponded with an increase in the number of professional embroiderers. The poor treatment of embroiderers did not deter women who were desperate for jobs from working.

However, the increased number of embroiderers signified a growth in the embroidery industry. The growth of the embroidery industry coincided with events marking the beginning of themodern fashion embroidery industry. Author Author’s name

Creating Couture Embroidery T H AT ’ S R I G H T F O R Y O U Couture ateliers and designers throughout history have used the art of hand embroidery for one universal purpose; to add a touch of luxury and beauty to their creations. As one of the oldest art forms in the world, it moves and motivates us to know that we’re preserving such ancient artistry and talent. 30

Through our travels, we’ve had the opportunity to meet so many exciting & creative designers who appreciate the beauty and value behind embroidery, and that in itself gives us the drive to keep innovating and continue to keep hand embroidery alive. And for those who’ve not yet explored the world of beading and embellishment, we aim to make the process a little easier.

There are endless ways to incorporate embroidery into a design, but the two most suitable for Couture and Ready to Wear design houses are:

Customized Hand Embroidery (made to the garment pattern).

Ready-Made embellished laces and fabrics (which then need to be applique stitched onto the garment). Having been in the industry for circa ten years now, we have a longstanding experience of both methods and wanted to provide a quick overview along with the pros and cons.

Having embroidery custom made by an embroidery studio can help save all that time, as the beadwork is made precisely to the shape of the garment pattern, leaving space aside for seam allowance and darts. Extra motifs, sequins and beads can are also sent along with the finished embroidery to create a seamless and perfect finish. There’s no need to cut through the embroidery, repair loose beads or waste any embroidery 31

that has been paid for. It also allows designers to be as creative as they please with their embroidery designs, since the collection of beads, crystals, sequins, pearls and motifs is infinite, and one is not limited by the selection of beaded fabrics available at that time. It’s also the best way to create a completely unique and exclusive embroidery, since readymade designs can be supplied to any number of customers.

Of course, outsourcing the embroidery requires a level of trust and confidence in the embroidery studio to wholly understand and translate inspirations and sketches, as well as deliver on time, so picking the company carefully is key.

The beauty of our industry is that there is no right or wrong. The choice will completely depend on the designer, their preferred way of working, the time they have on hand and the number of clients they need to cater for. No matter which technique designers decide to use, the objective remains the same – to create Haute Couture that lives up to its true name. That is being able to design something exceptionally unique and beautiful for its client, with no compromise on quality, intricacy and elegance.

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Name of the interviewer

Pino Grasso is a master in the art of embroidery. For sixty years, his Milanese workshop has been a reference point for the most renowned haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion houses. A continuous research into new materials and designs enriches his prestigious archive and stimulates the creativity of his clients.

PINO GRASSO

HAUTE COUTURE E M B R O I D E RY 34

Mr. Grasso, when and how did you embark upon this line of business? PG I developed a passion for embroidery when I was in high school. I often used to visit the house of a friend whose father was a master embroiderer. At the time, it was not a very common profession, so when I finished school I decided to enrol in the Faculty of Medicine. I soon realised that my true passion was embroidery - the beauty of embroidery. So I dropped out of university and served my mandatory military service before returning to my friend’s house, where I started learning the art of embroidery from the very bottom. I can still remember the day: it was the 1st of October 1958. That was sixty years ago.

is the one still used today. The only difference I find is in the materials used and in the research, which must always be innovative. If you look at the embroideries we made in the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, they were much more romantic. Today, fashion houses pay more attention to new materials and how they can be combined creatively.

So you didn’t attend any training school? Did you learn on the job? Exactly: I came up through PG the ranks, and it was hard. In those days there were no schools teaching this type of craft. As far as embroidery was concerned, in the Milanese hinterland and in the rest of the province there were several workshops employing artisans, but it wasn’t a structured industry. Mothers paid for their daughters’ apprenticeships in the workshop, but of course it was a completely different concept. IN

How has your clientele evolved since you started this business? PG More than the clientele, I would say that the “tastes” have changed. Consumer tastes have flattened out, and they depend entirely on market trends, not on one’s person-

Do you think that the new technologies have brought any change to your field? Embroidery techniques havPG en’t changed much over the years: broadly speaking, the technique I learned in the late 1950s IN

What is the role of the institutions in managing, promoting and protecting the artistic crafts? PG Promotion and protection do not exist in our sector. As master artisans, we are virtually invisible even in our own field. If you flick through any fashion magazine, you will never see my name or that of my colleagues, and yet we make many of the garments. In a situation like this, can you imagine the kind of help or protection that the institutions can give us? I have noticed some changes in the academic field, however.

al discernment. You also have to consider that we never deal directly with the final customer, because our work is carried out with fashion designers. The input we receive is more complicated to interpret: we have to understand what the designer has in mind and absorb the designer’s taste, in order to create the embroideries that he or she is looking for.

I have held lectures at the IULM in Milan to students attending specialised courses in the communication of fashion projects. They had never even heard of the art of embroidery. I showed them some of the works we do, because you have to know what you are talking about if you have to communicate it!

In our globalised society, what prospects do you see for artistic crafts? PG The possibilities are endless because manual skills are not services and commodities that can be bought in any country. In this sense, Italy’s culture and tradition represent an enormous competitive advantage. On the other side of the coin, we have to face the fierce competition from countries like India and China, which are unbeatable from the point of view of costs. However, we can defend our market if we invest and focus on our savoir-faire and experience. 37

DESIGNERS WITH EMBROIDERY techniques Barli Asmara was born as the first grandson of his family, since he was in school Barli has had a hobby of drawing various kinds of clothing. In 2002 Barli started his business from scratch, but thanks to the persistence and support of his friends, Barli has succeeded until now. Together with two of his friends, Adi and Neng Nana, Barli created a label called Nui Masu which succeeded in reaching the market for young people who at that time were craze for the Harajuku style. Nui Masu itself means tailor.

BARLI ASMARA

Until one day Barli finally decided to make his own label using his own name, namely Barli Asmara. Now Barli Asmara has 6 lines, namely Barli Asmara Couture, B by Barli Asmara, BARLI by Barli Asmara, Aaliyah Asmara, Barli Uniform and B-Homme.

PAUL VASILEFF

Paolo Sebastian is a designer from Australia, who is a student of designer Paul Vasileff. Paul Vasileff introduced Paolo Sebastian in 2007 when Paolo was 17 years old, since then he and his team have changed from a local brand to an international couture house. Starting from orders that meet the demands of acquaintances, until now I have worked with clients and are stylish. Finally, they follow a lot of fashion and are known to the world with their distinctive works using embroidery and beading or what we know as beads or sequins. And they do the embroidery and sequins by hand, thus adding even more value to the clothes they make.

Paolo Sebastian’s dress has been widely used, starting from The Academy Awards, the Daytime Emmy Awards, the Grammy Awards, the AACTA Awards, and The TV Week Logie Awards.

SEBASTIAN SPOSA

Sebastian attended Susan Budiardjo fashion school, then moved to Los Angeles and studied at The Instituto Artistico Dell Abbigliamento Marangoni in Milan, Italy. After studying fashion in Italy, he decided to return to Indonesia to introduce his fashion style and has a collection of clothes called “Sebastian Gunawan”.

The clothes displayed by him are shown by the touch of beads, crystals, sequins, and semiprecious stones. Now he is a member of the Indonesian Designer Fashion Association. The sketch of Sebastian Gunawan’s work is also famous, starting from his liking to draw sketches in his school days.

Initially, he drew sketches only for personal pleasure, but he took his hobby to Susan Budiardjo Fashion School, then studied in Los Angeles and returned to Indonesia. In 1995, Sebastian had his first fashion show with the theme “Portrait of Life” and designed a detailed dramatic evening.

Valentino Garavani was born in Voghera, Italy on May 11, 1932. Valentino learned about fashion design from a very young age, then fulfilled all his studies in Paris and started his personal life in Rome in 1959. In the mid60s, Valentino became the favorite designer for best women’s dresses. BARLI ASMARA

Valentino himself has made many fashion shows, where the works that are displayed tend to be more couture.

The clothes he displays wear a lot of embroidery, simple but still look luxurious and expensive. The embroidery he makes is mostly in the form of flowers and the like with bright colors in it, although Valentino doesn’t always make floral patterns. Apart from making embroidery on dresses, she also makes embroidery on her ready-to-wear clothes, boots, and bags. Author Author’s name