ML - Vegas Magazine

Vegas - 2015 - Issue 7 - November - Natalie Dormer

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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photography by cedric simoes (watch); gérard Uféras (embroidery) A term (and form) has emerged in the watchmaking com- munity over the past decade that has come to describe one of the most highly esteemed achievements in the making of timepieces: Métiers d'art. Creating a master- piece, whether in woodworking, sculpture, or on the dial, is a coveted art requiring rare levels of craftsmanship. Achieving such mastery is what sets brands apart. Chanel's Swiss-made watches embody the Métiers d'art concept and take it to new levels with a unique Lesage tech- nique of hand-embroidering diamonds, gold, and pearls on a watch dial. The process is incredibly labor-intensive, with everything done by hand at the Maison Lesage workshops. For more than 150 years, Maison Lesage has painstak- ingly stitched works of wonder in haute couture for such brands as Charles Frederick Worth, Jeanne Paquin, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Dior. In 2002, Lesage joined forces with Chanel, collaborating on haute couture collec- tions with a fierce commitment to preserving the exceptional craftsmanship that defines Lesage embroidery. The Lesage archives represent the largest collection of couture embroidery in the world, with more than 60,000 samples and an extraordinary 60 -plus tons of tassels, rib- bons, beads, crystals, and cabochons that have been sourced over multiple decades. Every year, Lesage adds approximately 100 new embroideries to its lineup, using more than 100 million sequins. The work is conducted in quiet yet bustling rooms at an atelier just outside of Paris. Here, a team of highly skilled artisans hand-applies the incredible embroidery, sequins, and beads to clothing and accessories. This is also where Stitch in time The houses of Chanel and lesage commiT To The preservaTion of excepTional crafTsmanship as They seamlessly blend The arT of embroidery wiTh Top-noTch méTiers d'arT in waTchmaking. by roberta naas the embroidery work—complete with diamonds, pearls, and specially made silk threads—is done to create the dials for Chanel's Mademoiselle Privé collection. "We have worked with Lesage for years on the fashion and couture side to ensure this savoir faire lives on," says Nicolas Beau, international director of Chanel Watches. "It has been normal for us to work with small companies in the Métiers d'art because people like these are the ones with the magical hands who make things happen. So when Métiers d'art began appearing on watches, we knew we had something truly special and turned to Lesage to help us execute it." Along with the decision to create a hand-stitched dial came myriad challenges. Unlike embroidery on a dress, an embroidered watch dial has to resist continual Chanel's Mademoiselle Privé watch (above) features a dial embroidered by Maison Lesage with silk threads and natural pearls that is encased by 18k white gold and 60 brilliant-cut diamonds (price on request). Chanel Fine Jewelry, Encore Las Vegas, 702-765-5155; chanel.com 54  vegasmagazine.com Style time Honored

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