From design to prototype

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What does our model maker's job involve?

Anaïs the designer works in close collaboration with Laura the model-maker.
Laura will turn the designer's sketch into a 3D reality, deciphering it with her discerning eye.

Once this analysis has been carried out, a sketch of the garment is formed using cotton fabric, which is then pinned and adjusted to a bust: this is known as molding.
A first mock-up of the garment in a pre-defined size is then drawn.
This stage defines the lines, the fall of the fabric and the volumes of the garment.
To simulate the appearance of the chosen textile as closely as possible, the craftsman uses either a soft or a thick cotton canvas to get as close as possible to the expected feel.

This canvas is then shown to the designer, who validates the work after modifications and/or adjustments to ensure that the garment meets her expectations.
After this exchange, the canvas is laid flat. This allows the patternmaker to hand-draw the different pieces that will make up the garment.
This stage is called pattern-making.
She then gradates and adjusts the pattern in all sizes from 34 to 42.
Once the tracing is complete, she carefully cuts out the pieces, arranges and pins them on the ironed fabric, and cuts them to size.

The final operation consists of assembling the fabrics using a sewing machine, and finishing certain operations by hand.
Technicity and skill are required for this stage.
This trade demands a great deal of patience and precision.
Indeed, a miscalculation or oversight can result in an aesthetic defect or make it impossible to assemble the garment.
The prototype will be the reference model. It will serve as an example for the seamstresses, who will reproduce it in several copies.

Portrait of our model maker

As a young girl, Laura would wander into haberdashers' shops alongside her grandmother.
She discovered fabrics and learned to differentiate them by touch.
Self-taught, she designed her first garment at the age of 14, following a challenge from her grandmother.
Later, she hesitated between studying architecture or fashion, before finally choosing the latter.
Today, it is through her profession that she exercises a form of architecture, constructing volumes and drawing up garment plans.