In a subterranean workroom of a building on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, there are cupboards filled with bags of Chantilly lace in a myriad of hues: Yves Klein blue, sherbet orange, silver care. Among the furniture are about a dozen sewing machines, where a small staff of seamstresses work as they make corsets for Cadolle, a company that has been making custom lingerie for nearly 140 years.
Cadolle’s reputation has made it a sought-after source for labels such as Dior and designers such as John Galliano, who commissioned the company to make corsets for Maison Margiela Artisanal’s much-hyped couture show in January. (Mr. Galliano, through a spokesman, declined to comment for this article.) Celebrities such as Rihanna and Beyoncé have also worn Cadolle pieces in music videos.
These days, corsets come in many forms. Some, like athleisure-inspired versions or corseted hoodies, have evolved what has traditionally been an undergarment in both form and function. But at Cadolle, the approach to the corset hasn’t changed much since Herminie Cadolle founded the company in the late 1880s.
That approach includes creating pieces that uplift women — spiritually and anatomically — and accompany them “throughout their lives,” said Patricia Cadolle, 45, Herminie’s great-granddaughter. She runs Cadolle with her mother, Poupie Cadolle, Herminie’s great-granddaughter, who is in her 70s.
In a glass door leading to the company’s atelier, which is decorated with magenta carpets, plush sofas and mirrored walls, a family tree composed of photographs and cut branches traces the lineage from its founder to its current directors .
The Cadolles consider the company’s custom corsets a form of couture. Making one can cost thousands of dollars and take months: The process requires multiple parts and often involves embellishments like sequins and crystals by hand.
Instead of whalebone, which is usually used to give corsets their shape, Cadolle uses a proprietary material with a plastic coating and steel interior developed to have similar stiffness to whalebone but greater flexibility. (The plastic coating of the material is intended to prevent the metal underneath from pushing the user when bending over).
Poupie Cadolle said some people see being a corsetiere or a person who makes corsets as outdated or even sexist. (The term “corsetiere” is sometimes used as a “derogatory,” he said.) But such perceptions haven’t stopped fashion design students from seeking out apprenticeships at Cadolle as part of their studies. Apprentices taken on by the company are exposed to techniques perfected by six generations of Cadolle family members involved in creating custom corsets, as well as bustiers, bras and one-pieces.
Customers looking for custom pieces tend to be older, Patricia Cadolle said. But the company’s store on Rue Cambon, around the corner from its atelier, offers a less expensive line of ready-to-wear underwear and has drawn shoppers in their teens. Some younger customers have been introduced to Cadolle by accompanying their mothers on trips to the atelier, she added.
“We’ve noticed an incredible curiosity about corsets from the younger generation,” said Patricia Cadolle, adding that the company’s younger fans “tend to choose a corset to wear for evening occasions.”
Kim Manocherian, 64, an art collector and former CEO of a New York gym chain, has several custom corsets from Cadolle. Everything is black. Americans, said Poupie Cadolle, prefer shades of nude or black. French customers prefer color.
Ms. Manocherian likes to style her corsets under jackets, which she sometimes takes off so the corsets act more like tops. She said that wearing the corsets makes her feel protected. he compared them to “armour”. Other customers said they thought about wearing their custom Cadolle pieces to dance or to the opera.
“People have different feelings about clothing as an investment,” Ms. Manocherian said. “But to me, if these are the clothes that will make everything else look good, that’s a better place to put your money.”
