"Fashion is not an art, it is a job" Coco Chanel  The lady-boss of the House of Chanel: Did you know that Coco Chanel was not only very different from most designers, but that she also worked very differently? She did not design on paper and did not have a sketch book. Unlike her successor, Karl Lagerfeld, who designed ALWAYS on paper. When Coco Chanel started her fashion house, she actually had very little couture sewing techniques. She had taught herself almost everything herself and worked mainly from her feeling and instinct. She had a great sense of how fabrics could be draped around the female body. Nice lady or a demanding lady-boss? When she founded her Fashion House and became more and more successful she got assistants and employees. She passed on her instructions verbally and came across as compelling and very demanding. Her models were also not always happy with the job, they sometimes had to stand for hours until Mrs. Chanel was satisfied. (and she was not easy to please) Coco Chanel is often associated as an unkind woman who only went straight for her goal and used people to be successful. In the movie "Coco before Chanel", we learn a lot how Gabrielle started her career in the fashion world. She knows how to move up through stubbornness and opportunism. She knows how to enter the world of the chic ladies through a big (rich) friend. This friend later became her big sponsor and he owes her success largely.  Time perspective But let's take a closer look at everything. Coco Chanel was a passionate woman who had a goal in mind. Her dream was unusual for the time. She did not want to get married and have children, but started a business and influence the world of the rich and the famous. There would be nothing wrong with that today. People would admire her and knows what it takes to work day and night at a goal in life. There were few women at the time who chose careers, who could take the opportunity to build this up and persisted at all. If Gabrielle had lived in our time, her 'character' might have looked or judged very different. Coco Chanel would have Social Media to create influence, she could probably found money or sponsors in other ways and maybe she would have been a great candidate for Dragons' Den. It is bad to be unkind, opportunistic and driven? Not at all. Coco Chanel got her success and she earned it by working hard and having creative and completely new ideas about Fashion, exactly in the right time when women needed something new and inspiring. Anyway, we wish Coco Chanel, still retroactively, its success. And whether she was unkind or not, she has created a Fashion label that still matters. Perhaps she would never have succeeded if she hadn't had her 'bitchy' qualities.   Inside Haute couture: Behind the Scenes at the Paris Ateliers by Desirée Sadek and Guillaume de Laubier As the title says, this book is about taking a glimpse inside the famous fashion houses. It is very picture-heavy with many images of studios, workshops, designers and artisans at work, as well as the close ups of the gorgeous details that go into the garments and the shots before the fashion shows begin. The photography is splendid, of course, and every page is full of information about the haute couture design process at different fashion houses. What goes on behind closed doors at Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Yves Saint Laurent and other famous houses is usually very secretive in the fashion industry. It is so refreshing to see a bit of this mystery unveiled. For example, my favourite part is the way the authors described the typical day at Mademoiselle Chanel’s when she was still alive. A valet at the hotel where she lived would call the workplace at 31, rue Gambon (right across from the hotel), to let the staff know that she was on her way. They would immediately spray her favourite perfume all over so she can get a good whiff when she got to work. Paris, the centre of Haute couture The book also highlights various skilled workshops around Paris that help the fashion houses bring their collections to fruition. Maison Lesage, Maison Michel, Massaro shoes, Maison Lemarie, Atelier Broderies Vermont got their due praises. The details of their work are amazing. It is no wonder that Paris is still the center of the haute couture industry simply because the skilled labour is there and they have thousands of embroidery, shoes, pleats, feather and other embellishments’ designs on files from hundreds of years in fashion. Some secrets revealed I am always curious to know what inspires other designers, what their creative process is like, and how they succeed. There are snippets of information in this book that help me understand why some designers are more successful than others. Ambition and talent are important, of course, and there is plenty of mention about that throughout the book. But there are other deciding factors that make it of break it in this industry. For instance, the very fact that all of the most famous fashion houses are located in Paris is a major reason for success because they have access to the best fabrics, notions and embellishments without worrying about shipping and customs duties.  Work at workshops!
It is common custom among the fashion houses to purchase the workshops that they need for their designs, such as embroidery and lace. Chanel’s group has recently acquired the workshop in Paris making tweeds because originally Chanel’s tweeds were imported from Linton Tweeds in the UK. Similar example of acquisitions is the house of Dior buying Atelier Broderies Vermont. Elie Saab has his own workshops in Beirut making hundreds of meters of precious embroideries. On the final note, this book is a great resource for anyone working in the fashion design industry or for those who are curious about what the prestigious studios look like and how the designers work. 
This book is new in my library and it exceeded my expectations in every way. It tells about Balenciaga's humble beginnings, his success story, design process, the suppliers he worked with, his famous clients and it includes plenty of great photos to highlight his style.
Respect for women He was such a private man and a true gentleman who never revealed much about his private life. The book does tell about his dressmaking background which started with his mother when the family lived in Spain. Because of his mother’s influence, Balenciaga had a great respect for women and he understood the lines, colours and designs that flatter the female figure. He didn’t like corsets and closures of Dior garments. He wanted women to be comfortable and stylish at the same time. The book leads us through his professional journey from San Sebastian to Paris highlighting the historical and political context of this period both in Spain and in France. Balenciaga's style What this book really excels in is describing Balenciaga’s style, his inspirations and Spanish influences. There are plenty of images throughout the book that show how the designer’s style evolved over the year. Yet he stayed true to his impeccable construction with engineering precision. He was one of those rare fashion designers who could make any garment from start to finish. He considered himself a tailor and a dressmaker and his pieces were constructed based on his solid tailoring training. He was incredibly meticulous in his designs and he paid great attention to detail. If he didn’t like the lines, he would pull the garment apart and start again. 
Dressmaker ánd businessman
He was also a shrewd businessman and he was procuring fabrics and notions based on the best price rather than loyalty. He had a great list of the best European suppliers, including Abraham, Agnona, Dormeuil, Chanel, Velours de Lyon and many many others. He was fortunate to open his business in Paris where he got access to the best textiles, buttons and trimmings and where the best embroidery artisans, such as Maison Lesage, were available. He kept accurate ledgers of his expenses which show how the fashion house grew over the years. 
If you love vintage fashion...
I was hungry to know how he designed and procured his fabrics, his creative process, and also price, advertising and publicity strategies he used to compete with other fashion houses at the time. The luxury fashion market is very difficult to enter and he was one of the designers who was able to dominate this market and seed other budding designers some of whom actually apprenticed with him. Hubert de Givenchy, André Courrèges, Emanuel Ungaro come to mind. I will not spoil your read by revealing too much detail, just to say that the book is very interesting with plenty of details and quotes shared by those who worked with the designer or bought his clothes. If you love vintage fashion, you will love this book.  A crinoline is a kind of underskirt construction that allows a skirt to be worn wide, very wide and extremely wide. In the 19th century, they were an important part of everyday clothing. Today they are made for costumes for movies, musicals and events such as the Fantasy Fair. However, for Cosplay, they are becoming increasingly popular. And don't forget the Gothic and Steampunk! A bit of history The garment was mainly worn by women between circa 1850-1870. Crinolines were used to give the shape of the clothes an increasingly wider ('more feminine') bell shape. The cage construction was made of smooth steel hoops that hung down from the waist and held by ribbons. The 'crinoline cage' turned out to be much lighter than wearing multiple layers of underskirts, as was previously used.  The crinoline allowed an excess of fabric for the top skirt. The skirts took on increasing proportions. Meters of fabric decorated with ribbons, flowers and strips radiated luxury, fashion and wealth. Sometimes a skirt contained more than 40 meters of fabric and a huge amount of additives. The hours it took to make such a skirt were countless and priceless. The latter were mainly for the nobility and upper class.  Social Distance Prints and drawings from the period show that the wearers of skirts with crinolines underneath could get (and possibly appreciate) the necessary space. The skirts created so much distance that women could barely speak to each other and men could not even touch the women. There is a print depicting a man offering the wearer of a skirt with crinoline a drink on an extended tray. The crinolines thus caused 'social distancing', the word that has become a well-known word in our century, a few months ago. However, the crinoline was also worn by women of the lower class and later even by every woman. It became a normal street scene despite the skirt making it almost impossible for women to move normally. The skirts took up a lot of space and caused problems on the street, in the church and indoors. In the 19th century, the crinoline slowly disappeared into the background and the shape of women's clothing became narrower and tighter at the waist. In the 1930s, courtiers attempted to reintroduce the crinoline. However, this failed. In Haute couture, crinolines are only seen under evening dresses, wedding dresses and costume films.  Cosplay, Steampunk & Gothic In the Cosplay world we see the crinoline mainly as an underskirt for Japanese Animé. Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - 06 - Lost in Anime is a well-known example and Umi Sonoda sometimes wears short and sometimes wide blue skirts with a crinoline underneath. In Steampunk, the crinoline is often not intended as an underskirt, but the skirt becomes an over skirt. The construction is often very tough with leather straps and heavier steel hoops. Usually the skirt is medium long. The colors are black, brown or red. The crinoline is often combined with a tight-fitting waist corset so that the shapes come from full (shoulders) to narrow (waist) and super wide (the skirt). A Gothic crinoline is often long, down to the ground, always black or red, and is worn more like an underskirt. This is covered by a long shiny black skirt of a lot of fabric or tulle worn with a corset and the outfit is mainly finished with lots of lace, ribbons, bows and fringes. The Gothic appearance is mysterious, often showing 'the evil witch', 'the darkness' or 'lady evil'. The emphasis is on: black, blacker, black.  How do you make a crinoline cage? You can make a crinoline cage yourself, but you will not be able to do it in one day. It takes a lot of time to find the materials together, to assemble the lines and the pipes through them. If you want to make a crinoline for an event, start at least three weeks in advance. Then you have plenty of time and you can also perfect the crinoline with decorations beautifully matched to the costume. Step 1: Choose the materials Get the PVC pipes depending on the sizes and the number of tubes you want to use. Cut them into four parts to be bent and joined together. Allow for a few centimetres for the spacers. Label each spacer so you know which hoop they belong to. This will make later construction much easier.  In terms of fabric, it is best to choose a firm fabric but not too thick. For a Victorian crinoline, unbleached cotton would be very suitable. For a Gothic or Steampunk crinoline, we would recommend a black textured fabric. Step 2: Start with a waistband Make a waistband a bit more spacious and adjustable. Leave the bottom part of the waistband partially open so that you can sew the straps in here.  You can also choose to make a waistband from thicker elastic or from an existing belt.  For a fabric waistband, attach eight straps that are the length from the waist to the ground (or the desired height) plus 6 x (the number of tubes) x 7 cm. You need this extra space to make the loops. The width of your crinoline is up to you. The thinner the more graceful. The wider, the more robust.  Step 3: Attach the hoops Coat the PVC pipes you precut earlier with fabric or use them as they are. Then slide the tubes through the fabric loops you made and attach the spacers to close the hoops. This is a difficult job where you can use an extra pair of hands. If you want to see the tubes but want a different colour, you could also paint spray the tubes or wrap them with tape.  Step 4: Cover the top and the bottom of the crinoline Finally, make the bottom of an extra band of fabric (30 cm high) and possibly a skirt over the waistband. You can only sew the extra edge of the fabric with the two hoops (tubes) through it. It is an impossible job to put the total crinoline on a table and use the sewing machine for this.  The crinoline is portable because it is foldable. You can also easily store the crinoline as it can be placed upright against the wall. You can make a crinoline yourself. It is a sewing project that everyone can complete in their own way. Viewing a few YouTube videos in advance is a good plan. This allows you to see which method you like best. If you don’t have strong sewing skills, you can also purchase a sewing pattern which includes detailed sewing instructions.   Once upon a time fashion gloves were stylish, unspoken symbol of luxury and class, a powerful combination of modesty and glamour. Would recent events make us revisit this obsolete fashion accessory and make gloves come back to our lives? In these anxious times, gloves may help psychologically by forming a thin barrier between us and the outside world. Although cloth gloves do not provide the same level of protection as plastic gloves, but as with cloth masks, any protection, in my opinion, is better than no protection. They stop us from touching the face and transferring germs from surfaces for once. A little bit of History Gloves were first worn by cardinals and kings as ornamental accessories to signify social status, wealth and elegance. (BARGER) In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, gloves were often given as gifts and tokens of love and respect. Looking at the vintage painting and photos, it’s interesting to see how gloves evolved. Gloves are often associated with women and strict social rules, but actually up until twentieth century both men and women made considerable investments in their clothing, including gloves. The gloves were adorned with jewelry and elaborate embroideries and, if not worn, they were always carried around as a status symbol. (Smithsonian) From daily wear to pure luxury Gloves gradually disappeared from every day wear after the 1970s along with hats, but they continued to be associated with luxury. Looking through the books about Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga, I see how these designers thought about the total ensemble, matching the outfit with the hat, bag and gloves Balenciaga’s simple black wool suit transforms when accompanied by black gloves. The famous ‘Caracas’ Dior silk dress had matching long black gloves, which added the air of unmistakable glamour to the dress. Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy and other designers used gloves as a powerful accessory on runways and in catalogues to make their couture garments stand out. Handgloves sewingpatterns There are many glove patterns available online, and they are actually very similar. The prices vary widely, however. PDF patterns are the cheapest, but keep in mind that they require a certain level of computer skills to make sure your print scale is 100% and you will need A4 paper supply. If you don’t have a printer, call your local office supply store before ordering a PDF pattern to see if they can print it for you and for how much because it will add to the cost of the PDF pattern. For your free options, online Threads magazine offers a free pattern which is great for those who have solid sewing skills. Start making handgloves! If you are new to making gloves, however, I suggest getting a pattern with full sewing instructions. Original vintage patterns are the most expensive. Although I was tempted to get a 50s pattern, I opted for the brand new Vogue gloves pattern from mccall.com which also happened to be on sale. (Buyers beware: when shopping for patterns, check official sites like McCalls or Burda first before shopping at other places like Etsy or online vintage pattern shops. Butterick, Vogue and McCall’s reprint some of their vintage patterns and you can get their selection when you go to mccall.com and type “vintage” in the search box. )  Sewingpattern Vogue V8311 This Vogue pattern has large, medium and small glove sizes and varieties of designs. To determine your size, you need to measure the circumference of your palm at the widest part (small is 7”, medium 8” and large 9”). To get a perfect fit, cut the pattern on a bias and use a stretchy material. Perfect fabric for making reusable gloves is cotton, especially stretch cotton, but you can make the gloves from leather, rayon, silk, linen, wool and, of course, jersey. Once you perfect the basic pattern, you can play with the design; include buttons, buckles, elastic panels, lace, embroidery or beads. Be bold and express yourself.  Choose your color What colour gloves to make is really a matter of your unique taste. If you want to stay traditional, look at your bag or shoes and get the gloves to match. Make a mask in the same fabric and the colour coordination will be perfect. Although white gloves are probably impractical, little black gloves would be the most elegant choice for any outfit. To remember your gloves, keep one pair in your purse and another in your car. Wash the gloves as soon as you come home, just as you do with your cloth face mask. This is a new reality for most of us, no matter where we are in the world. Cloth gloves, like masks, are another way to adapt and move on. But for all the artists and creators out there, gloves don’t need to be unsightly nuisance contributing to landfills. They can be a way to express our unique style and they need not disappear again.  About the Author: Elena Tran is a Canadian dressmaker and an entrepreneur passionate about haute couture sewing using beautiful fabrics and notions. After her career as a college administrator and mathematics professor, she pursued her interest in sewing and opened an online luxury fabric store baudekinstudio.ca. She is constantly learning and improving her craft. Her training includes lessons with the legendary couture instructor Angelina di Bello (Montreal, Canada), dressmaking program at Mohawk College (Hamilton, Canada) and online needlework courses at the Royal School of Needlework (London, UK).  Ofcourse it will be bloody perfect to use Vintage Chanel buttons for your diy-couture-garment. But how to recognize these beautiful buttons-jewels? 'Buttons-jewels' says it all: most real authentic Chanel buttons are really jewels ! Fabric Buttons Chanel once started to produce buttons hand-made mainly from fabric. These couture-made fabric buttons are now very rare. These fabric buttons are often recognizable by the lion's head in the middle. A lot of buttons before the 1970s will actually have a lion’s head embossed on them. Chanel buttons are also known for their logos of the letters C, the perfume bottles and even the famous jackets. Chanel buttons are ALWAYS of quality and durable material. Metal, mother-of-pearl, rhinestones and jewels. Coco Chanel also used the Camellia flower as Theme. These Camillia flower buttons are mostly black/gold or white. Real authentic Chanel buttons Authentic Chanel buttons are (rarely) on the market, because they are produced in small amounts and mostly made to match the unique garments. Vintage real authentic buttons are difficult to recognize because they used to match the garments perfectly. They are very expensive and for a collector of great value. New Chanel buttons do not have stamping on the back. Vintage authentic Chanel buttons have stamping on the back. New Chanel buttons are often copied in China and very similar to the real (new) Chanel buttons. Real Chanel buttons (especially the Vintage onces) are looking like little jewels. Fake and copies Fake or copy-Chanel buttons are often lighter, of cheaper material and less subtle. Almost any copy-Chanel button is called a real Chanel-button. It all depends on where they are for sale. Do not expect treasure authentic Chanel buttons for sale on big internet selling-markets/websites.... If you can not believe it is real.... it probaby isn't....  Not real authentic Chanel buttons, but we love: A new trend was evident during the latest spring 2020 Paris Fashion Week. John Galliano for the Maison Margiela brought a spotlight on integrating used fabrics and fashion items into his haute couture ‘Recicla’ collection. (Mower) The focus was on sustainable fashion through upcycling.  John Galliano for the Maison Margiela Upcycling is simply repurposing old clothes. My generation still remembers how our mothers used to make dresses from leftover fabric, or how they fixed husband’s old shirts so they fit the son as he grows bigger. The clothes had value as they passed over from older siblings to the younger ones. That value of quality clothing disappeared over time. Buying cheap clothes for the season and discarding them or bringing them to never ending isles of thrift shops is spiraling out of control. Recycling can make you feel better, but it doesn’t solve the problem of growing landfills. Buying less and better quality clothing and upcycling old clothes may be the answer to making an impact on the environment. Garments must have value so that they are not so easily discarded. Vintage clothes are often associated with value and quality. Vintage doesn’t mean old-fashioned. Remember that fashion evolves constantly and designers often seek elegant and timeless vintage pieces for inspiration. For example, the 70s style is evident in the contemporary maxi dresses. Stella McCartney’s summer collection is a vivid example of fashion déjà vu. (McCartney)  Stella McCartney Vintage Patterns You can use vintage patterns to repurpose old clothes and remnants of fabrics and create bespoke one-of-a-kind couture garments. The first step in making a vintage garment is to discover your taste without being influenced by the latest fashion fads. Find your own unique style. As the famous designer Hubert de Givenchy said: “The secret of elegance is to look like oneself.” (Beyfus) Vintage is a broad category and it includes items from 20 to 100 years old. Ask yourself a question: do you like 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s style? What designs flatter your figure the most? Do you like particular fabrics and colour? Remember the outfit you got the most complements on. Once you discover your own style, you can start shopping for vintage patterns, fabrics and haberdashery. There are so many vintage patterns available online. You can buy Givenchy, Dior, Laroche, Alexander McQueen and other couture designer patterns. The important thing to watch out for is making sure that the patterns are complete and in good condition.  Tips & Tricks Make a copy of the pattern on Pellon 830 Easy Pattern, or a similar pattern tracing material every time you want to make modifications to the original. Don’t do the alterations on the original pattern. Label your modified pieces clearly so you don’t forget what was done. I keep my versions of the same pattern in a separate envelope with a photo on the front. Watch tutorials on how to make simple alterations, take a deep breath and give it a try. Make a mockup outfit using leftover fabric or old sheets to check for fit. Sewing using vintage patterns is not that complicated, it’s like reading a fashion history book with hands-on learning experience. When I sew with vintage patterns, I cannot wait to get to the next step to see how the designer accomplished the final look. For instance, you can master classic techniques, such as making rollaway collars and dolman-style sleeves with gussets à la Givenchy. The hallmarks of haute couture are illustrated in the instructions to vintage patterns, such as basting through construction lines and marking notches by thread, always basting before stitching and overcasting by hand among others. Create your own style Incorporate your own unique style into the vintage design by adding reused trimmings, buttons, and fabrics. You can find discounted couture fabric remnants online if you have a particular vision in mind. Alternatively, you can pull apart old clothes that no longer fit or wedding and bridesmaids pieces that have yards of fabric that you can use. Take them out of the storage bags and examine if the fabric is still in good condition, and you can use buttons, zippers, beads, lace or trimmings. Another great way to make a couture garment is to make your own fabric by stitching complementary colours together or make insets and appliqués for a striking effect. (Shaeffer) The treasure-trove of design will open right before your eyes. You can give a new life to reused fabrics and clothing by incorporating them into your limited-edition vintage garments that you will wear and treasure year after year.  Bibliography Beyfus, Drusilla. Vogue on Hubert de Givenchy. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2013. Lucioni, Alessandro. https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2020-couture/maison-martin- margiela/slideshow/collection#29. 2019. McCartney, Stella. https://www.stellamccartney.com/ca/stella-mccartney/midi_cod15034082jt.html#dept=main_dresses. n.d. Mower, Sarah. https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2020-couture/maison-martin-margiela.25 September 2019. Shaeffer, Claire B. Couture Sewing Techniques. Newtown: The Taunton Press, 2011.  About the Author:
Elena Tran is a Canadian dressmaker and an entrepreneur passionate about haute couture sewing using beautiful fabrics and notions. After her career as a college administrator and mathematics professor, she pursued her interest in sewing and opened an online luxury fabric store baudekinstudio.ca. She is constantly learning and improving her craft. Her training includes lessons with the legendary couture instructor Angelina di Bello (Montreal, Canada), dressmaking program at Mohawk College (Hamilton, Canada) and online needlework courses at the Royal School of Needlework (London, UK).  Oh HOW WE LOVE Chanel Vintage ! Do you want to join us? @ SewingChanelStyle on Pinterest -> Chanel Vintage ! Join our Pinterest Collection and help us to collect the most beautiful pictures ever! Together we will honor these wonderfull pictures forever ! |
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