François Lesage 1929 - 2011

December 1, 2011 was a sad day for those in the fashion industry. Master of Couture embroidery, François Lesage, aged 82 passed away after a long battle with illness. M. Lesage was a true visionary in the fashion industry.

Tucked away in the attic rooms of a five story building, overlooked by Sacre Coeur, you will find Lesage, Europe’s most celebrated beadwork and embroidery house. These tiny rooms hold drawers and boxes filled with more than 60 tons of beads, sequins, threads and 100 year old jet. Here, over 50 women are employed to create the intricate embroidery and beadwork seen on the haute couture gowns that line the Parisian runways.

Since taking over the family business in 1949, François had been the head of the world's most famous embroidery salon. Although he admitted that he could not thread a needle let alone sew a button, the Lesage atelier produced over 80% of all beadwork and embroidery seen on the couture runways. Under Lesage's leadership, the house had acquired such prestigious clients as Dior, Yves Saint Laruent, Givenchy, and Christian Lacroix.

When hard times hit Lesage in 2002, Chanel bought up the atelier along with four other atelier's of the industry’s key suppliers as part of its bid to ensure the survival of the "petites mains," or artisans. François still stayed on as head of Lesage and oversaw the daily productions of the house until his death.

With an embroiderer father and fashion colorist mother, Lesage joked that he was "born on a mound of pearls and glitter". Mr. Lesage was revered for maintaining the couture craft and its tradition of making every stitch and attaching every bead by hand. Unfortunately, hand beadwork and embroidery is a dying trade. The number of artisans is diminishing for a few reasons including, crafts workers retiring, a younger generation unwilling to carry on family tradition, and cheaper labor being available overseas. M. Lesage was a leader in trying to revive the craft and keep the tradition going when he opened Ecole Lesage.

Lesage founded his embroidery school, Ecole Lesage, in 1992 next to his Paris workshop to pass on the craft to the next generation. I attended Ecole Lesage in 2009 for the Professional Couture Embroidery and Beadwork course, and was truly lucky to meet M. Lesage a few times. There were two times when he walked through the classroom and personally checked my work and embroidery stitches. I feel honored to have been able to meet such legend. Inside the Lesage atelier, I had the opportunity to see hundreds of vintage embroidery samples originally made for designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Even though M. Lesage no longer owned the atelier, he was still very much involved in the designing and daily running of the atelier. I also saw him attending the past few Chanel runway shows in Paris where he was known for sharing insights with front-row neighbors on the craftsmanship in the clothes.

A week before his passing, Lesage was awarded the title of Maître d'Art, "art master" by the French culture ministry, giving him a chance to "say goodbye", said a spokeswoman for his workshop. He was also made an officer of the Légion d'Honneur in 2007.

I hope Lesage will continue to thrive as France's oldest and most well known embroidery atelier in honor of François Lesage. Couture beadwork and embroidery is one of the most beautiful and intricate art forms that transforms fashion into wearable pieces of art.

The atelier will continue on under the direction of Chanel, and continue to produce beautiful couture embroidery pieces for the fashion world.

Iris Couture Embroidery

Just thought I would share a piece that I am currently working on! This is a couture embroidered piece that will soon be turned into a clutch purse. The hand embroidery is done with a Luneville hook which is the technique that I learned at Lesage, (an atelier house owned by Chanel). It is created with glass beads, sequins, threads and vintage silk.

This piece was inspired by the Monet Iris jacket that Lesage made for Yves Saint Laurent. This is such a wonderful piece, I really wanted to capture a essence of the original jacket in my embroidery.

Once I am finished the final product, I will post more pictures!

A Common Thread (Brodeuses)

A Common Thread/Sequins, or Brodeuses as it is called in France is a fantastic, must see movie if you are interested in embroidery. The film is about a young pregnant girl who gets a job doing couture embroidery with a woman who does work for Lesage and Lacroix. You see them stretching the fabrics over the frames, use the Luneville hook and hand sew pieces for some of the main fashion houses. I really enjoyed seeing inside the atelier and the various eye candy of the beads and sequins shown while they are stitching. Although this is an old movie from 2004, I just watched it for the first time today. As I watched the film, I worked on one of my embroidery projects and felt like I was working away along with them!

Someone had recommended it to me when they heard that I had studied at Lesage. I am so glad that I took their advice and watched it, and I hope you take some time to see it as well! Below is the French trailer for the movie, but don't worry... it is available with English subtitles!

CHCH Morning Live Video

Last February I was invited on CHCH Morning Live to speak about my time at Lesage, and my jewelry designs. You can read all about my adventures in the television studio in a post that I wrote by clicking here. I have finally just uploaded a behind the scenes look at my interview on YouTube. Sorry it took so long! Enjoy!

Madame Grès

Last week, I went to see the Madame Grès exhibition at Musée Bourdelle. It is an amazing showcase of the designers collection's throughout her career. Madame Grès launched her Haute Couture design house in 1942 in Paris. She was known for her use of jersey and draping (thanks to her incredible technique a width of jersey of 280 cm would end up as only just 7cm wide). Having the dresses shown amongst sculptures is a perfect combination as Madame Grès once stated, “I wanted to be a sculptor. For me, it’s the same thing to work the fabric or the stone.”

Inspiring, modern and beautiful, on display are 80 dresses, over 100 sketches and 50 original pictures from photographers such as Richard Avedon or Guy Bourdin. I thought the collection of pleated and draped dresses was stunning, and began to wish that I owned one of the beautiful pieces!

So, if you are in Paris I highly recommend going to see this wonderful exhibition. It runs until July 24 and you can find more information on the website here www.Bourdelle.paris.fr

There was even a dress that had a belt made by the famous embroidery house "Lesage!"

CHCH Morning Live

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be featured on the "CHCH Morning Live" show. I got to do a five minute interview live in the studio and show my embroidery work, and my new Spring/Summer line of my jewelry. It was a great experience and really interesting to see how everything works behind the scenes of a morning show!


I arrived at the studio at 7:30am with my Sales Rep. Kim (way too early in the morning for me!) Security was waiting for us, and they took us up to the green room where there were lots of Tim Hortons treats. We then got introduced to the producer, and began setting up my table in the hallway outside the studio. This way, it can just be wheeled in when they are ready for my interview.


Carla, the producer of the show made sure we had everything we needed and that I was ready for the interview. Above, you can see Carla attaching my microphone so I am ready for my big moment!


I had a couple of minutes in makeup room to do some last minute touch ups right before the show!


It's show time!! We wheeled the table in the studio, had two minutes to talk to the host about what we would talk about, and then it was time! It was a great interview, and it provided great exposure for my jewelry! Thank you to CHCH for having me as a guest!

2010 Reflections

Since 2010 is now over, I felt it was time to reflect on my past adventure filled year. Over the past year I was lucky enough to get to experience what most don't get to do in a lifetime! One year ago today I was a new citizen of Paris, France. I had just finished my apprenticeship with Lesage (atelier house owned by Chanel) and was ready to experience a new Parisian life! Listed below are some of my most memorable moments over this past year!

Earning my certificate in Professional Couture Beadwork and Embroidery from Lesage


Meeting Karl Lagerfeld at Couture Fashion Week


Hanging out with Jeanne Becker at Couture Week, and Fashion Week



Spending my birthday shopping at Chanel


Moving in with my boyfriend into our new apartment beside the Eiffel Tower


Meeting my nephew for the first time!


Having my story published in papers and magazines


Photographing celebrities including Kanye West, Elizabeth Hurley, Anna Wintour, Puff Daddy, Jared Leto, Clair Danes and Jessica Alba








Happy New Year!! Here is to a fabulous fun filled 2011! I have a feeling that this will be my best year yet!

West of the City

Thank you "West of the City" magazine for featuring me in their artists profile this month!

by Melanie Cummings
A tour through the couturier House of Lesage that aired on an episode of the maven of all things homespun, Martha Stewart's show last year, sent Sarah Cownley to Paris, with no more than high school French to communicate with, no place to live, nor any familiar face to help her get settled.

Before the 31-year-old embarked on her Parisian adventure in September 2009, she worked three jobs to raise the $8,300 tuition for the three-month long professional training course at the prestigious embroidery atelier (studio).

“Anything creative I follow. I'm a constant learner,” says Cownley, who is in Burlington now but plans to go back to Paris in the new year.

By the end of her six-month stay, Cownley invested more than 450 hours into the course and in the process, created a stunning collage of all of her lessons that is worthy of becoming an heirloom.

As a House of Lesage graduate, she is one of an ever-diminishing group of artisans capable of 
creating wearable art, of stitching gossamer canvases replete with tiny cut glass beads, sequins and rhinestones. Owned by Chanel, the skilled craftspeople at the House of Lesage are currently responsible for 85 per cent of all the beading and embroidery that graces the world's famous couture collections including, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Lanvin.

For Cownley, her newly acquired embroidery skills will now be incorporated into the jewelry she designs and makes by hand for her own well-established label, Glimpse Beads. She plans to create cuff bracelets and collar necklaces on vintage silks that are covered with the intricate bead and embroidery work she now knows how to do.

Cownley started Glimpse Beads shortly after graduating from Sheridan College's textile design program, and the fashion merchandising and design program.

After that, to hone her jewelry-making skills she relocated to Chicago to learn silversmithing and earned her level 1 certificate in precious metalwork.

And when Cownley returns to Paris the learning will continue. She plans to begin an apprenticeship at either the 130-year-old artificial flower-making house called Legeron, or learn feather and accessory design at Le Maison Lemarie, which was also established in 1880. Both working atelier houses create pieces for clients such as Dior, Chanel and Givenchy.

As well as meeting her new love in France during her time there, Cownley also connected with a bevy of vital contacts in the fashion world.

Among them was Daily Telegraph fashion journalist Hillary Alexander. While circulating outside Paris' fall/winter fashion week venues Cownley revved up her courage and introduced herself to the influential reporter, asking her if she would wear one of her necklaces — a chunky amethyst piece with draping chains.

The tough critic agreed upon seeing Cownley's work.

“I hope to see (Alexander) wearing it one day.”

In the meantime, Cownley has registered her company in France where she will develop her web-based business for Glimpse Beads, continue doing sample work for a Canadian handbag company, and teaching jewelry-making at craft centres, design schools and home parties, as she did in this part of the world.

Ultimately, she hopes to one day open her own boutique in Paris.

Mastering the art of embroidery, Paris style

Check out the article all about my adventures in Paris! This article was published in the Burlington Post on August 21, 2010 and written by Melanie Cummings. Follow this link to reach the original article http://www.insidehalton.com/community/burlington/article/864123

Mastering the art of embroidery, Paris style


Fashion artist Sarah Cownley has seen a part of the haute couture world that few ever see.

Over three months she’s been working inside the ateliers (fashion studios) of Paris learning a craft that is as precise as it is beautiful, and sadly, waning.

The 31-year-old grad of Sheridan College’s textile design, as well as fashion merchandising and design, signed herself up for a haute couture professional training course to learn embroidery at the prestigious House of Lesage.

“I wanted to get a chance to learn from the masters of the craft,” said Cownley who took the initiative to contact the atelier house, pay the $8,300 tuition and dedicate 150 hours to class time, and twice that in painstakingly precise homework, to learn the craft.

In the House of Lesage, 50 seamstresses hunch over wooden frames stitching hundreds of tiny cut glass beads, sequins and rhinestones onto gossamer cloth into wearable art.

Over one year these artisans hand sew 100 million sequins and 150 pounds of beads. Owned by Chanel, these skilled craftspeople are currently responsible for 85 per cent of all beading and embroidery that grace the world’s famous couture collections including Chanel, Christian Dior, and Lanvin.

“Each day, I attended Lesage for three hours to learn new stitches, then worked on my project back at my apartment for another five hours,” said the Burlington resident who left for Paris in September 2009.

The embroidery technique for beads and sequins hand sewn on the reverse of the fabric used by Lesage is called Luneville (named after the town in France that started it in the early 19th century).

Cownley considers the hefty tuition well worth the money as instruction was usually one-on-one, or sometimes two instructors per student, and even the school’s 80-year-old head and last remaining heir of the 150-year-old establishment, Francois Lesage, personally inspected.

“I was pretty nervous when the master of embroidery was looking at my work,” she said.

Cownly also got an up close look at vintage samples of embroidery and beadwork done for Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent. And she toured through the atelier bead room where there were drawers and boxes filled with more than 60 tons of beads, sequins, threads and 100-year-old jet (a highly polished black coal used for beading, jewelry or buttons).

“I am truly lucky to have been able get such an inside view of the couture fashion world,” said the eager student.



The award-winning jewelry maker is parlaying her newly honed embroidery skills into a new line of embroidered cuff bracelets with silver and gold threads, and collars drenched in beads and sparkling Swarovski crystals stitched into vintage silk fabrics.

Her time in Paris also opened other new doors to the fashion world. She is writing for fashion magazines and websites about Paris’ couture week (July 5 to 8) and reporting on the Paris street fashion scene in her blog www.glimpsecreations.blogspot.com, where she’s posted photographs of her with rapper Kanye West, actor Jessica Alba, designer Karl Lagerfeld and fashion reporter Jeanne Beker.

Cownley started her hand made, one-of-a-kind jewelry business, called Glimpse Creations, in 1999 and has sold her pieces, which are dripping with sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and semi-precious stones, in local galleries and retailers, including Artists Walk in Burlington, The Haberdashers in Oakville and Bijoux Star (www.bijouxstar.net) in Paris, as well as at local art and craft fairs.

She’s home now but plans to head back to Paris in January to stay for another year or longer and sign up for an apprenticeship at either 130-year-old artificial flower-making house Legeron, or feather and accessory designer Le Maison Lemarie, which was also established in 1880. Both working atelier houses create pieces for clients such as Dior, Chanel and Givenchy.

“When something has been handmade, it carries the soul of the artist with it. I strongly believe that the work done by these skilled craftspeople are works of art. We cannot allow these crafts to diminish due to lack of knowledge about the art of couture,” said Cownley.