Tag Archives: France

Paul et Joe, Paris

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The other day I went into Paul et Joe Sister and Homme in the Marais in Paris, and what a cute store! I had never really given this brand much thought, and boy I was missing out. The women’s clothes are girly, fun, and have a little vintage kick to them- as do the mens. The Men’s clothing is absolutely fabulous- it is different than what you see everyday- Pink, blue, and patterned blazers, textured pants, and soft sweaters, all in great colors and fun patterns. It’s pretty fantastic.

I was so lucky in that the owner/designers son, Adrien, happened to pop in, so we all got talking, and he told us all about the brand and even showed us the cookbook for next spring (which is pretty fabulous). In addition to Men and Sister (which a lower priced, younger line) they also have just Paul et Joe, Kids, and beauty. I highly suggest you check it out- whether online or in a store- the one I visited was at 55 Rue ville du temple in Paris.

Lesage, Paris

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If the name Lesage doesn’t get your heart beating, please leave now. This legendary house, started in 1924, when the embroiderer Michonet sold his house to Marie-Louise and Albert Lesage, is one of six remaining embroidery houses in Paris. The Metiers d’art, or craftsmen, are the ones responsible for the couture you see every season. The costume jewelers, feather workers, milliners, bookmakers, glove makers, fabric pleaters, and embroiderers are the ones who make the exquisite pieces you see on the couture runways (under the designers direction, of course).

 Chanel Sketches

Lesage is perhaps the most famous because of it’s work with Chanel. Yes, it is the house that embroiders Chanel. But Lesage has worked with many other legendary designers, Yves Saint Laurent and Elsa Schiaparelli being two (they still have samples from Elsa-all the way back to the 1930’s!)

They also work with new and emerging designers, Mary Katrantzou being the most notable. As a side note, I am obsessed with her, and was almost more excited to see a garden-print dress being embellished than a tweed being made.

Lesage has over 60 tons of materials, and only 60 employees. Everything is stored beautifully, right down to the color-coded thread in antique shelves. They also have an incredible archive- every time they make a sample it is put into their archive, so they have amassed quite the collection after almost 90 years.

One of the best parts was learning about how the designers collaborate with the craftspeople- designers will come and give the theme, and then the craftsperson will create samples based on the theme and what they think the designer is looking for. The designer will then pick their favorite, and a series of drawings and patterns and samples are made. Once the embroidery is complete, the pieces go back to their respective fashion houses and are assembled there. Pretty cool, right?