Illustration By Damian
Paris is known for its
"savoir-faire" in haute couture. But that is for women, what about
this excellence in the male attire? Most fashion houses that have menswear,
usually have some made-to-measure service. Recently, LVMH opened the doors to these
secretive ateliers for the public to see behind the scenes, the craftsmen who
perform this magic. I decided to uncover the makings of the most desirable
accouterment of the male wardrobe, the bespoke shoe.
BERLUTI was created by Alessandro Berluti
in 1895 with his creation of the Alessandro, which is a "soulier" cut entirely in
one piece, which is still available and is one of the their best sellers today.
On entering the atelier on the rue
Marbeauf in the 8th arrondissement in Paris. I was surprised by the airy arrangement
that one may find in a modern office space. Wooden lattice floors with glass
walls, line the entrance, enclosing workspaces impeccably organised and strange
industrial manufactured machines. Then, leading to corridors where an impressive
collection of wooden shoe forms are neatly arranged like letters at the post
office.
My guide leads me into a small room where
various shoes and boot models are exposed like sculptures. Made from luxurious
leathers, crocodile, python and even stingray, it was hard to believe that
these were made for select clients for everyday wear. And sitting on a small
table, shoe forms marked with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Burton attest
to the extend of their celebrity clientele.
Next I was shown onto the workrooms.
Scattered across work tables were cardboard patterns, strange utensils and bags
filled with shoes in various stages of fabrication. And sitting at these
machines, artisans expertly manoeuvre their work to finish minute details. Even
the stitches, done by hand, seemed so easy until I realised the strength needed
to bind seams so tightly that they were practically waterproof!
Finally, the finishing touches to these
hand made wonders, is "glacé" by the sole woman in the atelier.
Before leaving, I had to look back, to encompass how this small team of less
than 10 artisans, produce over the hundreds of orders from around the world. No
wonder the waiting list, no matter the client, is only a mere six months!
