The 19M opens doors to French savoir-faire of excellence

On the one hand, a place apart in a remarkable architectural setting to showcase exceptional savoir-faire. On the other, an inclusive approach aimed at the general public, the younger generations and, in particular, a territory, Seine-Saint-Denis, unaccustomed to rubbing shoulders with the world of luxury...

This is the great discrepancy brilliantly achieved by le 19M, the structure housed by the building decorated with concrete "threads"; imagined on the edge of Paris, near the Porte d'Aubervilliers, by the talented architect Rudy Ricciotti, the father of the Mucem in Marseille. Over 25,000 square meters and five floors, it brings together an entire virtuous ecosystem of luxury Haute Couture and decoration, including the twelve professions, eleven of which are classified as "métiers d'art", of Chanel subsidiary Paraffection, but also the Lesage embroidery school, an exhibition gallery and a café.

12 professions, including 11 métiers d'art

du 19M by le 19M x Alix Marnat">

Inaugurated in 2021, this place has its roots in the approach initiated in 1985 by the Home on rue Cambon with the purchase of the Desrues parurier (ornaments and buttons). This was followed over the years by those of feather-maker Lemarié, hat-maker Michel, embroiderers Lesage and Montex, targeting couture (and their departments dedicated to decoration, Lesage Intérieurs and studio MTX), boot-maker Massaro, goldsmith Goossens, floral parurier Guillet, glove-maker Causse, sewing workshops Lognon and Paloma, pleater Lognon, and finally, swimwear brand Eres.

In doing so, Chanel has been able to preserve the existence of sometimes financially fragile Homes. They risked losing their techniques and equipment, some of which were very old. Paraffection integrated them, while maintaining their independence. They were thus able to preserve their savoir-faire while continuing to work with different principals, Couture Houses and designers, more or less young, more or less well-known.

To enable them to better tackle the future, it was decided in 2021 to bring them together within du 19M. The site was chosen in particular for its proximity to certain Homes already located in the suburbs, such as Lesage in Pantin. The 12 Homes have gradually settled into their new, larger and extremely bright workspaces, fully adapted to their tools, techniques and ways of working. This grouping facilitates synergies between the Homes, many of which were already working for the same clients, including Chanel. This proximity also fosters creativity and the discovery of new techniques and savoir-faire, enriching their way of working.

A complementary ecosystem

"This complementary ecosystem allows us to collaborate better and make some very fine creations. For example, we can work more easily with Lesage, Montex or Lemarié", explains Hadi Tchouar, Paloma's workshop coordinator, a specialist in flou / soft dressmaking. The young man recalls that the first time he came to work at 19M, he felt "really integrated into this environment thanks to the gathering of all these savoir-faire".

"Thanks to this facility, we have exchanges with all the other teams, it's very enriching to see what fellow artists can do, further emphasizes Maria de Araujo, a teacher at the Ecole Lesage, located on the second floor of 19M. We sometimes have joint projects, for example with Lemarié, whose flowers we can embroider. With a simple phone call, we can place an order with them and pick it up within the hour by going down one floor!"

The 19M is also fertile for nurturing innovation, whether via collaborations between ateliers or via artistic projects driven by the structure. The Homes, each with its own artistic director, are constantly pushing the boundaries and proposing new things to their customers, as part of a genuine dialogue. For example, Montex goes beyond the usual techniques, offering innovative 3D embroidery.

Inventing new possibilities

Serving as a spur to invent "new possibilities", la Galerie du 19M for its part organizes two exhibitions a year, open to the general public and free of charge. Their vocation is to showcase art professions in a new light, via artistic vectors such as photography or painting.

Artisans and artists cross-fertilize their disciplines and savoir-faire. This creates opportunities that the workshops would not necessarily have had on their own. Guaranteeing a different kind of creativity, le 19M doesn't work with star artists, but rather with young people from the 93 region or from Chez Poush, Europe's largest artists' incubator, based nearby in Aubervilliers.

Three exhibitions by la Galerie du 19M have also already taken place "hors les murs" in Marseille, on the occasion of the Chanel cruise fashion show in May 2024 and in Dakar, Senegal, during the Métiers d'art 2022/23 collection fashion show in December 2022 and then, given the success encountered, in the first quarter of 2023. Here, too, local artists are invited to shake up the codes of the Home du 19M. In Marseille, for example, an artist and a craftsman from Home Desrues, both fans of tuning, customized car steering wheels with sequins and other buttons, while Montex presented a hammock woven from ceramic rings, made in collaboration with an artist.

Attracting the general public in a relaxed way

Mains d'avenir, les journées des Métiers d'art du 19M by le19M x Alix Marnat">

Generally speaking, these variations on savoir-faire and techniques help to get the general public interested in them in a relaxed way. Exhibition themes can also serve as a trigger. The last one, which took place from September 2024 to the end of January 2025, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Home Lesage, was an incredible success with over 50,000 visitors, beyond the organizers' expectations. The exhibition, it's true, brought together many assets by evoking a family business with a fine heritage and exceptional savoir-faire.

Other means deployed by le 19M to capture a large audience: its café-restaurant and the introduction of introductory workshops in arts and crafts during the Galerie's exhibitions, free of charge (or participatory in the case of artist collaboration), allowing, for example, the customization of a phone charger with a tweed envelope.

The richnessof 19M lies in its cultural dimension but also the initiation to savoir-faire through practice, a concept for which it has been a pioneer. More and more demonstrations and workshops are held for the general public. And it's not unusual to witness the delightful spectacle of young girls and boys who can't take their hands off their creations, happy to leave with their handiwork, whether it's a flower they've made or a pouch they've sewn.

Ornementa, the next major exhibition, running from March 13 to May 18, will thus invite young and old alike to learn about 19M savoir-faire and explore behind-the-scenes of contemporary design and the professions via an immersive, participatory experience.

Discover a new passion

While its building and professions can intimidate the uninitiated, le 19M works with a whole range of associations and schools to attract audiences to its territory.

The transmission of professions is indeed a major challenge for the structure. First lever: partnerships, in various forms, with schools such as Lycée Octave Feuillet, Boulle or IFM (Institut Français de la Mode). These range from Masterclasses to full-fledged teaching programs (such as the one set up with Boulle, covering the various materials used in the Home). For its part, the Ecole Lesage, based at 19M, offers introductions to the embroidery profession for beginners, or short advanced courses for professionals.

Second lever: for three days, the "Mains d'avenir" trade show offers schoolchildren on the first day, then the general public on the weekend, the opportunity to discover du 19M professions and their craftsmen, by attending or participating in demonstrations of gestures or round-table discussions. After a first edition in Paris in February 2024 and then a second, in Marseille in May 2024, the third was held, from February 7 to 9, once again in the capital.

Coherent course

In order to offer a coherent pathway to the professional training expected in these professions, each stand presented a Home, a profession and the professional training to access it.

On February 7, many young people were interested in the craftsmen's demonstrations. Camille, a BTS Métiers de la Mode student, watched intently as Victoire, in her first year at Lycée Octave Feuillet, made a fabric flower. While she already dabbles in it as an amateur, she confided that this stand opened up new horizons for her studies.

Maria de Araujo (Ecole Lesage) was also on hand,"very happy"to share her 35 years of experience, first as an embroiderer, then as a workshop manager, then in Haute Couture quality and industrialization set-up, and today as a teacher. "We're delighted to introduce our professions to people who didn't even know they existed. We can see the light in the eyes of this new generation. For some people, this show is really a wake-up call", she explains.
Also present, for his part on the Paloma stand, Hadi Tchouar praised the fact that "this show introduces the younger generation to savoir-faire that tends to disappear. In the 19th century, there were 32,000 such workshops in Paris. Today, only a handful remain, and 19M is a wonderful initiative to bring them together. It creates a kind of magnet, showing the beauty of these professions."

Promoting French Savoir-faire internationally

The 19M also promotes French savoir-faire abroad.

A program has been set up with the King Charles Foundation. After visiting le 19M with Camilla, he asked the Home Michel to come and give a Masterclass on millinery and embroidery to young English people. An important symbol when you consider the place occupied by headgear in the royal family across the Channel!

Finally, la Galerie du 19M is planning for the future a significant rhythm of exhibitions outside the walls, in France or abroad. The next international exhibition will be held from the end of September to the end of October 2025 in Tokyo, at the Mori Tower, along the same lines as in Dakar and Marseille. It will work with Japanese artists, whose gestures have been handed down for millennia. The Lesage exhibition will also be presented at this Japanese show. Proof, if proof were needed, of a real craze around the world for French savoir-faire, craftsmanship and excellence.

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