A Stitch In Time

As Chanel prepared for its Haute Couture Spring/Summer ’20 show in Paris, T Singapore went behind the scenes to discover the dedication and craftsmanship that is poured into each collection.

- Renée Batchelor

The scene is serene and almost peaceful the day before Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer show in mid-January at the couture ateliers that sit on the upper floors of the brand’s legendary Rue Cambon address. It is sunny outside, though the wind is brisk. But inside the atelier it is warm and light-filled. A radio softly plays the strains of the Beach Boys as petits mains (seamstresses) are hard at work putting the finishing touches to delicate yet intricate couture pieces that will grace the runways of the Grand Palais in 24 hours.

A man is painstakingly sewing on an exquisite bridal veil — the pièce de résistance that was embroidered for Chanel by embroidery house Lesage. It will be paired with a knee-length, belted bridal gown as the show’s final look the following day. Elsewhere, sumptuous silk linings are stitched into hand-woven tweed jackets and cream-coloured sequins — strung lengthwise like a stack of coins, rather than sewed on flat — are being painstakingly assembled and stitched onto the fabric. This is laborious and time-consuming work, but also takes a certain patience and stillness that seems almost alien amidst the bustle of the busy streets just below us. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, but also a reassuring calm.