Modes & Travaux x Wear Lemonade
Hello lemons!
Two posts in one week is Byzance! At the same time, I have so much to tell you! I feel like time is stretching out and the weeks are getting shorter, which is pretty crazy. But I've known it was going to be like this for a few months now, that back-to-school with Monoprix was going to be crazy (I admit I wasn't expecting such a crazy whirlwind)! So you know what? I'm not struggling anymore... I'm slipping, I knew it at the same time... Anyway, I've come here today to tell you about a lovely project! The kind of project that goes off without a hitch, the kind of project that's all about love too, and when there's love there's always love...
A few months ago, Patricia Wagner, the director of publication at Mode et Travaux, contacted me to interview me for the May issue, and we quickly hit it off. Between matcha lattes with Peonies coffee and verbal ping pong, we started brainstorming on the totally crazy idea of imagining a special issue of Wear Lemonadebut not only...
For those who don't know the history of this magazine, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary very soon, it's one of the most widely read magazines in France... In 1919, long before ready-to-wear and the Swedish and Spanish giants exploded our clothing wardrobes, people were making their own clothes. For the younger generation, it may sound crazy, but long before TV, the Internet and social networks, we had time to activate our 10 fingers, and the patience to learn new skills! In short... Mode et Travaux is an institution, a monument!
"In the old days, to make your own clothes, as well as going to the local haberdashery to find sewing patterns, or visiting a friend who was a seamstress or the local tailor, you could buy Mode et Travaux! In this magazine, illustrated for decades with sublime stylized silhouettes, you could choose the models you wanted to wear by sending back a bulletin with money, and thus receive at home model 24 on page 48 and dress 78 on page 92, to sew or knit! Can you imagine the number of model makers needed to keep this magazine running? I think it's amazing! And with each issue, the cover was dedicated to a great couturier who offered the pattern of the garment on the front cover inside the magazine! A garment to make yourself or buy ready-made!
I remember saying that in creating Wear Lemonade I wanted to dust off the Burda and Mode &Travaux patterns... Did I speak too soon? Because when I met Patricia, I was hysterical at the idea of doing a Hors Série with them, where we would mix our patterns with the archives selected from Mode et Travaux' immense library!
As you know from Wear Lemonade, I'm very inspired by cuts from the 50's, 60's and sometimes even the 70's. And Laure, Wear Lemonade's patternmaker and stylist, won't contradict me, because if you only knew what a retro lover she is... So in May, Laure and I went to the Mode et Travaux offices in search of patterns to bring up to date in the magazine's abysmal archives! I have to admit, we were like two kids in a candy store!" And this! And this! And this dress! And this skirt! And that dress! We already have too many dresses, but she's too beautiful". I think you can imagine the scene... So we've selected 4 patterns from Mode & Travaux magazines from the 1950s, 1951 and 1952: a coat, a shirt dress, a top and a skirt (crazy!) and we've added 8 more of our own!
And then, to do this issue together, the condition was that I could choose the fabrics, the model, the photographer, the hairdresser and the make-up artist, that I could put my two cents in on the model, and that was great! At first, I imagined going for a full-on retro revival, but then I realized that this was a great show for us, and that our DNA had to shine through in this issue! So I went in search of the most colorful and pops of fabric I could find at the Marché Saint Pierre, and off we went! Then it was time to choose a model... Well, you know what, I thought it was a good idea to lock us into something that didn't look like us, us celebrating real-life women, so I came up with the idea of having all the girls in the studio pose! And by luck or trust, I don't know, Patricia agreed, and then I spoke to the studio about it. I may have gone a bit too far by not asking their opinion beforehand, but I thought they might like it and it would make a great souvenir!
So my fire team! Thanks to Laure, Philippine, Maria, Charlotte, Maya, Cécile and Anaëlle for their willingness to play along for a day in July at 50°C... And thanks to François for his little hands! And thanks to Simoné for the video that follows! And thanks to Laurence Revol for always making us hot, and thanks to Laurence Maestrello and Amélie Gallon for powdering our noses and taming our flyaways all day long!
I hope you enjoyed it, and you can find this special issue on newsstands or at our website where we have a small quantity for sale, at 8.90 euros! See you soon!