The Haute Couture Ateliers by Hélène Farnault

Haute Couture Ateliers takes the reader on a tour of fashion's backstage, inhabited not only by exceptional designers but also by lace makers, weavers, textile finishers, pleaters, jewelers, feather workers, leather makers, embroiderers, and many other special­ized craftspeople. With painstaking attention to detail and exceptional workmanship, they can create anything and everything a designer can imagine. Exquisite photogra­phy captures this unchanged world of small workshops where artisans practice ancient trades--though a number have evolved with the times: while some weavers still use looms, others use high-speed precision machines, guided by proprietary software. Hélène Farnault, France's leading authority on haute couture crafts, explains the rarefied hierarchies and mysteries of these extraordinary artisans, bringing talented milliners and trimming experts into the spotlight.

"Through splashy runway shots, sketches and studies, and behind-the-scenes photos, Farnault familiarizes readers with the most powerful couturiers of our time and the skilled artisans creating their designs."--ArchitecturalDigest.com

"...The book offers a rare start-to-finish glimpse into a world where dreams become reality, for these artisans are the people to whom fashion's top designers turn to make the impossible possible. As Hélène Farnault writes, 'Whether their creations are restrained or daring, traditional or revolutionary, simple or luxurious, couturiers could not exist without craftspeople...Equally the craftspeople could not exist without the designers. They are mutually dependent.' Put another away: It's the most beautifully successful codependent relationship we've ever seen." --Celebrated Living

"This unfettered access to the best fashion artisans on the planet is a gift for any true fashion lover - and frankly, anyone remotely creative."--Franki Durbin