Première

Première Position in a dressmaker’s that makes made-to-measure clothes and haute couture. A premiére is a sort of interpreter, who translates the designer’s sketches into toile samples which she fits to the atelier’s house model (another symbolic and constant figure in the dressmaker’s world) in order to select the right fabrics and work out the best cut.

The premiére is an essential figure

The premiére is an essential figure. Every good dressmaker’s has at least five, each with his or her own specialisation. There are premiéres for suits, cocktail dresses, princess dresses and evening wear. There is also a premiére specialized in pleating and drapery. Men can also be premiéres, usually working on coats and more structured garments. Balenciaga was one of the few designers who could do without premiéres, because he was an excellent cutter and a born tailor.