Pascal Jaouen Collection

In January each year, Inspirations’ home town celebrates the Adelaide French Festival. Held over three days, it is a celebration of life and the very best of French culture. With an eclectic program featuring French artists from the fields of music, theatre, dance, food, wine, art, fashion and film, there’s something that will appeal to everyone. The stitchers among us discovered a treasured item on this year’s program – the Pascal Jaouen Collection.

Hailing from Brittany, France a region with a rich textile arts history and where embroidery has played an important role in both men and women’s fashion, Jaouen has reimagined the traditional and is now considered a master of needle and thread.

Jaouen’s love for local culture began as a child when he would see his grandmother wearing traditional costumes on Sundays, eventually seeing it as his purpose to not only preserve these techniques, but also teach them. Over his career he has opened several embroidery schools which now see almost 1,500 students pass through annually.

His research and dedication to the art of Breton embroidery have ensured these traditional embroidery techniques will continue for years to come.

As we perused the collection of 16 garments that were on show, it was a delight to see the time and talent poured into each piece and witness the art of embroidery elevated to a level of style and sophistication rarely seen in our modern, mass produced ranges of fashion.

We left the collection not only inspired by what is possible with needle and thread, but secure in the knowledge that Jaouen’s dedication to preserving Breton embroidery will serve well the generations of future stitchers fortunate enough to study under his masterful hand.