_{THE YOUNG WOMEN KEEPING
HAUTE COUTURE EMBROIDERY
ALIVE}

Hannah Dye was 6 when she first picked up a needle and thread. At the age of 11, she taught herself how to make clothes. 

Fast forward 12 years and she is now studying haute couture embroidery at the prestigious École Lesage in the fashion capital of the world, Paris. But what led her to this point? And how important is it for young artists to take up this skill, which some consider to be a dying art?

For many, when you imagine embroidery, you may picture an 18th Century woman sat by the fire in her Regency gown, passing the time until her next ball by stitching.

However, around the world younger generations are dedicating themselves to keeping the artistry of haute couture embroidery alive.

Hannah is drawn to the “beauty and artistry” of couture embroidery, which she feels “represents the highest level of craftmanship”.

École Lesage has been teaching budding embroiderers since 1992. Maison Lesage, which owns the school, is known for its collaborations with the greats of French haute couture, including Dior and Chanel. For a young embroiderer like Hannah, learning from them is “a dream come true”.

There is still huge scope for innovation in this field. Justine Bonenfant is a freelance embroiderer, who has worked for the likes of Dior, Chanel and Alexander McQueen. She believes that “you can embroider with anything”, even items like wood and hair.

As trends change, so does couture embroidery, making it just as relevant today as it was at its inception in the 19^th century. For Justine, this means that “all the big fashion houses will always offer embroidery”.

We see that today in the high-end garments by designers such as Maison Schiaparelli on the catwalk at events like Paris Fashion Week. The beading, pearls and stitching which often define these looks are all prime examples of 21^st Century haute couture embroidery.

Engaging young generations

Justine is passionate about “keeping the craft alive” by engaging people around the world.

So how can this be done?

• Outreach is important. Dior offers a partnership with the Chanakya Embroidery School, which works with less privileged women in India. They work on haute couture embroidery which often ends up on the catwalk for major fashion events.

• Making embroidery more inclusive is key. Whilst there are some scholarships that help people to afford embroidery training, it is still very expensive. For example, 150 hours of haute couture embroidery training at École Lesage costs 8500 euros. Therefore, the industry must come up with alternative, more accessible options for learning haute couture embroidery.

So for young embroiderers like Hannah, there is clearly still a need for their craftmanship and skills in the fashion industry. It is through education and outreach that the valuable savoir-faire of haute couture embroidery will be kept alive and passed on to future generations.