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.
The Creative
Born in France, Delphine Genin is the founder and creative director of the label. Determined and inspired by anything and everything, Delphine has always had a clear view on how she wanted to run her company. 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. Before the opening, Delphine was trained in couture art embroidery at the prestigious Chanel-owned subsidiary Ecole Lesage but her endless curiosity pushed her into digital fashion and art which she learned in less than six months.
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 vision is to build a brand that makes the world better by challenging people’s thinking and preconceived perceptions about themselves and others. Delphine uses art, design and symbolism to create beautiful, outside of the box memories with our outfits. She believes that technology will be an unabler to share her message with more women around the world while remaining sustainable and ethical.
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?
The Atelier
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 the 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, 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.
You are a visionary fashion tech. expert or artist, you have novel ideas to partner with us or are simply a risk-taker, email us at [email protected]