The Story Of Chanel's Petites Mains

When Karl Lagerfeld decided to celebrate the petites mains for his Chanel couture collection this June, it heralded a sentimental moment in the house's history. Long the unsung heroes of the fashion world, the world was made to acknowledge the hundreds of hours that go in to sometimes creating just one garment, and the people that patiently pour their hearts into making it all possible when Lagerfeld put them centre stage. As the collection arrived in London to give editors a close-up view of their work, we took the opportunity to find out who they are.

Based at 31 Rue Cambon, where they have always been since the inception of Chanel Couture, there are four ateliers - two flou, two tailoring - each with a première d'atelier who oversees everything. Presently, Olivia Douchez and Cécile Ouvrard are in charge of the two flou ateliers, and Josette Peltier and Jacqueline Mercier are in charge of the tailoring ateliers. (Mercier is the longest-serving première having joined the house in 1997.) In recognition of their work, and as a way to identify the origin of each garment, the labels in the clothes from the atelier each woman looks after bear their name.

Hugely respected figures in the house, it is each of their jobs to work directly with Lagerfeld, bringing his famous drawings (which they are given six weeks before the show) to life. They work so closely with Lagerfeld, that they know exactly what he wants from what many would consider an undecipherable sketch (we hear that he uses additional tools such as Typex and highlighters on his drawings to communicate certain types of fabrics that he would like to see made). They, too, offer their own ideas and suggest different techniques to create specific effects, which Lagerfeld takes on board.

The size of each atelier and the number of petites mains that work in each, Chanel told us, varies depending on the fashion show period, but there are on average 20 to 25 people working for most of the year, with this increasing to 40 as the big reveal date nears. They are accepted into the ateliers when they have completed their studies and usually an average of 10 years is required to meet a professional level.

The attention to detail, discipline, and (most impressively) patience, is something to be marvelled at. "Without the Haute Couture ateliers we wouldn't make a good collection, we need them and I love to work with them," said Lagerfeld.