Couture Passementerie

Service Description

From Chanel and Balenciaga to the House of Worth and Ralph Lauren, passementerie has been a way to elevate a garment from something ordinary to something extraordinary. What is passementerie? It’s a French term without an English equivalent. Passementerie encompasses a multitude of techniques used to create embellishments. It includes the creation of buttons, cording, trim, garment closures, braiding, tassels, and much more. Modern-day uses of passementerie may be found in couture fashions, like the trim edging on French cardigan-style jackets made famous by Coco Chanel and the fashions seen in period films or shows, like Downton Abbey. Passementerie also appears on historical garments, military uniforms, and in high-end home interiors. In this program, Robyn Spady will share insight into how many couture fashion designers incorporated passementerie into their garments from the perspective of how simple some of the techniques are and how they could be easily recreated and adapted into our own wardrobes.

Contact Details