The Parisian Atelier
The manufacturing stages
Ines de la Fressange is famous throughout the world because she perfectly embodies the Parisian style, so admired and often described, quite simply, as “Parisian Chic”.
The Ines de la Fressange Paris brand has inherited this DNA and has chosen to place design and creation at the heart of its roots, because elegance rhymes with excellence and high standards, an obvious choice but one that is becoming rare...
Ines de la Fressange is famous throughout the world because she perfectly embodies the Parisian style, so admired and often described, quite simply, as “Parisian Chic”.
The Ines de la Fressange Paris brand has inherited this DNA and has chosen to place design and creation at the heart of its roots, because elegance rhymes with excellence and high standards, an obvious choice but one that is becoming rare...
The creative studio
As the artistic director of the brand that bears her name, Ines de la Fressange inspires and oversees the in-house Studio. This Studio, an entity that has existed since day one at Ines de la Fressange Paris, is located in the heart of the brand's offices and hundreds of pieces and patterns are imagined and designed in a space where not a single square centimeter is wasted, including walls on which entire tables of drawings and fabric samples are displayed.
The inspirations of Ines de la Fressange
Ines draws her inspiration and intuition from her travels and her incomparable experience of Parisian fashion. Few people have such a wealth of experience and can truly say they understand the Parisian woman's style. And it is in the Studio, nourished by Ines' desired direction, that the team gets to work and the designs for each of the pieces that will make up the seasonal lines are born, to date three per year exactly, not counting the Capsule Collections.
Sketches and drawings
Everything starts with the collection plans that help structure the offering and design the themes of each collection, constantly renewed but always faithful to this inimitable "effortless chic" style that Ines embodied and theorized in her books. Large panels mixing sketches, finished drawings and stitched fabric samples give shape to what at first is only a dream or spirit of the times.
For several seasons, Ines has asked Eric Bergère, a renowned clothing designer trained at Hermès and who has worked for Lanvin and Smalto, to support the Studio and help her design collections in harmony with her values and aspirations. Ines and Eric have known and appreciated each other for a long time; they already had the pleasure of working together when the Ines de la Fressange Paris brand was created in the 1990s, and finding each other again seemed like a natural fit.
Choice of fabrics and materials
Eric, who lives in Arles year-round and also works on his own collections and for partners in Asia, regularly visits the Ines de la Fressange Paris studio at 10, rue du Mail in Paris, next to Place des Victoires. He brings his taste, experience, and expertise, which perfectly complement Ines de la Fressange's intuitions and reinforce the energy and talent of the in-house Studio team. Everything then passes through a very special alchemy. The creative intentions combine designs and, from the outset, fabric selections or exclusive orders from publishers. The numerous back-and-forths with these fabric publishers, selected from among the best, make them creative partners. Throughout the process, particular attention must be paid to ensuring consistency between style intentions and materials; these two parameters will together give birth to the Brand's lines.
The Atelier Made in Paris
Talented craftsmen
Ines de la Fressange Paris has chosen to complement its Studio with an in-house Workshop; this is a true luxury, especially since it is also located in the heart of Paris. Few brands have such a powerful tool integrated within their facilities. This choice is strategic: it is by far the best solution for ensuring that creative intentions are reflected exactly in the prototypes of each piece. There is indeed total continuity between the original inspirations, the spirit of the Brand, the wishes of the creation, the drawings, the choice of materials, the cutting of fabrics, and the assembly of prototypes. Everything is done in-house at Ines de la Fressange Paris, by integrated teams and stakeholders who come together and work together, around Ines de la Fressange herself. Behind each Ines de la Fressange Paris creation lies the talent of passionate and expert artisans.
The Assembly of Clothes
Within the Atelier, we imagine how the designs will translate into clothing: we break down each element, we design the assembly, sometimes very technical, and we bring it to life, first with "toilettes" made in volume from neutral fabrics then by moving on to prototyping in real fabrics so that the fall is perfect, exactly as the creation wishes. After hours of meticulous and almost loving design, long fitting sessions then allow the Atelier team to compare its proposals with the expectations of the Studio and naturally, of Ines de la Fressange herself. Through the experience and knowledge of its team, the Atelier concentrates rare know-how in design and pattern making that we will find in the pieces that will then make up the collections. Some will be so successful that they will then become "timeless". After everyone's agreement, at the end of the fittings and sometimes passionate exchanges (but always in good humor...), it is then the stage of Patronage. Essential so that the clothes can then be manufactured, in quantities always reasonable, on small production lines with a still very artisanal spirit, in France and Europe mainly. This is another extraordinary skill: that of breaking down a garment, often very complex, into unitary elements which will be manually traced on a particular paper and translated into precise measurements what will become a Pattern. At a time when most of these stages are digitalized, in a spirit too often "industrial" and marked by large series, the Atelier Ines de la Fressange Paris has chosen, on the contrary, to entrust these stages to perfectly "human" and expert eyes and hands.
The Grenelle boutique
An authentic place
24 rue de Grenelle in Paris
This is how at Ines de la Fressange Paris we can guarantee a true fashion and craftsmanship spirit to the pieces that the Brand will sign.
An essential part of the Brand's charm and authenticity is rooted in these phases, which many customers are unaware of but which they unconsciously perceive when they discover its creations, clothing, leather goods and accessories.
A very Parisian house
The height of refinement, the Atelier is not only located in the heart of Paris, on the Left Bank, but it is even located in the middle of the Flagship store of the Brand Ines de la Fressange wanted it and asked that everyone be able to see it for themselves: a case undoubtedly unique in the world, the Atelier works behind bay windows, in full view of all within the largest store of the brand. Any customer of the Ines de la Fressange Paris boutique can thus see for themselves the Atelier and its "little hands" at work, there are no secrets at Ines de la Fressange Paris and, on the contrary, living proof that the pieces of the House are indeed created...in Paris.