Creatives around the world were devastated to hear of the passing of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld recently. There are not many people who have impacted the worlds of fashion and beauty in the way that he did and for that, we are so thankful. Karl and his incredible designs and vision have often inspired our award-winning Paddington team of hairdressers, pushing us to be the best hairdressers we can be.
We consider ourselves true hair artisans here at our Murphy Gozzard Hair Community, and so we appreciate others who choose to dedicate themselves to their life’s work. Nowhere is this more apparent in the fashion world than the revered Chanel Haute Couture Ateliers at 31 rue Cambon where Karl trusted the best of the best to create true magic.
Here are some incredible facts direct from these secretive vaults, thanks to @britishvogue
There are a total of four ateliers each with up to 50 seamstresses, plus a smaller atelier "galon" for trimmings. Two ateliers are devoted to what is known as the "flou" – generating a dialogue between the garments and opulent fabrics such as tulle, organza and chiffon – and the other two specialise in suiting
A head seamstress, known as a "première", presides over each atelier, collectively overseeing a total of up to 70 looks every season.
It takes at least 10 years to "master the trade" and around 30 years to be ordained a première.
Apprentices "are extremely important because they are ensuring the knowledge of the atelier continues". Qualified people, as with any specialised creative work, are becoming harder to find.
One jacket can take 1000 hours to create, with a total of up to 70 looks each season.
All the way from Paris to Sydney, his legacy and his love of artisans and dedicated craftmanship lives on.
Come and visit us to experience your own little piece of hair couture in Paddington’s best hair salon.