pushing the needle

The year 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of Lesage, the seminal embroidery house that's a go-to among fashion's greatest couturiers and the maker of Chanel's ultra-exquisite tweeds. As the atelier enters its 101st year, Noelle Loh - following a visit to the Lesage, 100 Years Of Fashion And Decoration exhibition, on at Chanel's Le19M complex in Paris till Jan 26 - breaks down how it continues to revolutionise the hand-done art of weaving and beading.

- Noelle Loh

IT HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL FASHION DESIGNERS.

Before founders Albert and Marie-Louise Lesage took over in 1924, the atelier went by the name of Michonet and served couture greats such as Charles Frederick Worth, Paquin and Madeleine Vionnet, whom Marie-Louise assisted, specialising in embroidery. Elsa Schiaparelli was a close collaborator in the 1930s, and after Albert passed on in 1949, his then 20-year-old son Francois steered the company, bringing in clients that have become some of the industry's most directional names: from Dior and Givenchy to Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier.

IT'S EXPERIMENTAL BY NATURE.

Since its start, Lesage has had a rep for coming up with new embroidery techniques. For example, Albert and Marie-Louise invented the art of vermicelle droit fil, in which embroidery is stitched to follow the grain of the fabric, as well as the ombre system that's now an industry standard for creating gradated colours. Today, the atelier continues to do the same under the eye of Hubert Barrere, artistic director of Lesage since 2011, using both traditional and new technologies.

IT'S PART OF CHANEL'S METIERS D'ART NETWORK.