The workshop

Our workshop is located on the top floor of the Claudie Pierlot fashion house. It was created there at the instigation of our founder.

Claudie Pierlot decided as early as 1984 to combine the rigour and working practices of a fashion house with the ready-to-wear sector. This approach continues to this day, allowing us to produce and offer our customers superb-quality outfits at affordable prices.

Pattern Making

Each of our pieces is created in three dimensions from a Stockman mannequin before being turned into a pattern. This approach sees clothing not as a collection of numbers or measurements but as a volume made to be worn.

Our pattern makers guarantee that the cut of the garment is just right, that it is comfortable and that it fits the body to perfection.

This method also lets them work more intuitively. Being able to touch and feel the garments, try them on several different body shapes and apply alterations if necessary before they go into mass production is a decisive factor in the final quality of our garments.

The research
laboratory

It's also not unusual for our workshop to take on the appearance of a research laboratory. Our workshop staff work in harmony with our styling team and are always keen to experiment with new approaches, like introducing new materials or cuts.

They tweak existing silhouettes to make them more more comfortable and stylish. Every day, the new discoveries they make in the workshop help to keep the Claudie Pierlot brand and its new collections fresh and up-to-date.

The team

Our workshop team is made up of around ten people from different backgrounds. Including pattern makers, cutters, and prototype makers, the team's combined experience has shaped the most emblematic pieces in our brand's history.

If you ask them what their secret is, they'll tell you it's just a matter of "having the knack".

Although they use modern equipment, their methods methods and expertise are purely traditional. Their technique is based on experience and repetition. This is impossible to duplicate with a machine.

The design
stages

First drafts

The Pattern Maker, who occupies the historic place of the "couturier", follows directly behind the style team.

They give shape, size and outline to the pieces and define their volume.

AThey use fabric and pins to create a three-dimensional first draft of the piece on a Stockman mannequin. Once the desired shape has been achieved, the piece is transposed onto a two-dimensional toile - a woven fabric - from which the patterns are drawn and traced. The Pattern Maker, surrounded by their tape measure, Patternmaster rule, pencils and tailor's ham, defines the practicality and refines the aesthetics of each piece.
Cutting

Following directly on from the Pattern Maker, the Cutter uses the measurements to cut just the right amount of fabric for the patterns supplied.

This requires exceptional precision. The Cutter works with the different fabrics, taking into account their thickness and delicacy, positioning the pattern pieces like a jigsaw puzzle on a cutting table and cutting them out ready for the Prototype Maker.
Sewing
machines

The Prototype Makers are responsible for designing the prototypes for the collection using the pieces of fabric supplied by the Cutter.

They must faithfully reproduce the Pattern Maker's work and also add seams, pleats, hems and everything else that constitutes the 'structure' of a garment.

Depending on the complexity of the piece, other equipment, including an overlocker, embroidery machine, or lockstitch machine, may be needed in addition to sewing machines. Creating prototypes allows us to confront the reality of the design and calculate precisely how long it takes to assemble each piece.

Les Exceptions

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, we've chosen to focus on our Parisian workshop: its creativity and expertise. We have called the result of this initiative "Les Exceptions".

Opting to focus on special occasion outfits, , the skilled artisans in our workshop have designed exclusive pieces whose apparent elegance lends itself perfectly to the spotlight. The delicate drape of a dress, the moiré effect of a suit and a bustier worked like a corset all bear witness to their experience and expertise.

Find them in our shops