DELPHINE GENIN is the only couture atelier in Australia to specialise in the highly-regarded ‘Luneville’ style of haute couture embroidery. Founded by creative director
Delphine Genin following a successful career in business, Delphine draws on her knowledge
and experience studying at the prestigious CHANEL-owned Ecole Lesage to establish her
namesake atelier and bring this style of French couture to Melbourne.
The DELPHINE GENIN atelier creates utterly unique pieces of art, which at once both
embody the wearer and transform their perception of themselves and the world around
them. Drawing on a vast number of influences and references, the atelier creates garments
which combine the heritage and craft of couture with contemporary techniques through the
advancement of technology, innovation and sustainability, combining a passion for psychology with the technical expertise of this historic craft.
Born in France and trained in couture art embroidery at the prestigious Chanel-owned subsidiary Ecole
Lesage, Delphine Genin is the founder and creative director of the label. Determined and talented, running
a successful atelier has been the culmination of years of training and experience. As an intuitive and visual
person, Delphine uses design as a form of expression where words alone are insufficient. By laying her
foundations in finance and working at an executive level, Delphine was able to adapt her advanced
business management skills into supporting and establishing her own label.
Within only two years since commencing the label, Delphine Genin has been described as “pioneering a
radical new concept” by the Australian Financial Review. By combining rare craft and tradition with
technology, the label continues to stay at the forefront of Australian luxury.
The Inspiration
"How might we create a world where women and men benefit from each other on equal terms? How might
we combine craft with technology to make customers think that by carefully purchasing the right item, it
will not only reduce clothing waste on the planet but also empower them with something that fits them
perfectly?"
These are some of the questions that Delphine Genin decided to answer when one day she
quit a successful career in finance and sought to combine her passion for strategy, art and technology to
change the world.
Fuelled by issues such as gender equality and sustainability, her designs involve the highest standards of
production and quality of materials, and are invested with hidden symbols of female empowerment.
Her studies in sociology have made her passionate about analysing human behaviours in groups to
understand the human mind and how we behave in a given context. When looking at her designs or
reading about the inspiration, she wants to make people question themselves, think about their
surroundings and the way they do things, prompting them to ask themselves: What is normal? What isn’t?
What is the normal?
Delphine Genin Atelier is home to a rare team of some of the most experienced and skilled artisans in
Australia, each specialised in their craft, from patternmaking and draping to embroidery using Luneville
techniques and costume making. The Atelier has the privilege of collaborating with renowned Haute
Couture professionals such as Dominique Pillard, an expert Plumassier (feather artisan) who has worked
with luminaries like Jean Paul Gaultier.
Through close collaboration with experts in their fields, the Atelier is able to achieve remarkable standards
of production. Creative Director, Delphine Genin oversees each element of the construction process to
ensure that no detail goes unnoticed. Our pieces of art are all handmade locally by artisans and
embroiderers, whilst more complex and intricate embroideries are completed in France. An innate
perfectionist, Delphine personally selected each of the label’s suppliers. While developing the label, she
met with around 20 family business owners from France, Italy and England to import their finest fabrics to
her Atelier in Australia.
The Tradition
Delphine Genin is committed to the tradition of Les Métiers d’Art, which seeks to honour and preserve age
old craftsmanship and savoir faire, while recognising the importance of incorporating technology and
innovation to adapt to the current market.
Accompanied by needles and hooks (the technique of Luneville), the Atelier uses century old techniques to
create beautiful embellishments made of metallics, vintage and silk threads, 3 facet beads, sequins, gold
embroidery and Swarovski crystals. Only a select few artisans in the world have mastered this Art, usually
called Les Petites Mains, as it is only taught at the most famous schools in France.
Starting with a moodboard, the artisan will cut, dye, burn, twist, fold and wash their pallet of materials to
create volume, dimensioning, paddings or flat work. Some pieces can take up to 300 hours of work and
include up to 20 different materials and embroidery techniques on the same garment.
In seeking to create a sustainable luxury, Delphine Genin is constantly working towards incorporating new
technologies into our design process through the use of modern cutting-edge fabrics and an innovative
direct to consumer distribution model.
The Uniqueness
From bespoke to made-to-measure, Delphine Genin creates works of art that are timeless and created
uniquely for the wearer. Inspired by themes of artistic celebration and cultural sophistication, each made-
to-measure collection is an expression of these concepts and features rich symbolism. Our bespoke gowns
are conceptualised by understanding the client’s intrinsic personality and how they want to express
themselves at a specific event or in life generally. Not only does this allow the wearer to feel empowered,
but it also allows them to connect with the work of art that they are wearing. Each dress is an authentic
personalised luxury.
Private online access allows our clients to be part of their project and follow the design and construction
process of the dress and to immerse themselves in an unparalleled world of couture.
