MORGANE CATTEAU: VERY COUTURE UPCYCLING
TEXT BY ANNE PAILLOT
After more than ten years spent in the workshops of the House of Chanel, the young designer Morgane Catteau sets down her bags in Biarritz, avenue de Verdun at number 5. At Venitz, her “Upcycling Couture” creations rub shoulders with other eco-friendly labels, united around a common approach: creating ethical, stylish and transparent fashion!
A HAUTE COUTURE RESUME
In 2003, after training in embroidery which she was passionate about, Morgane, a 19-year-old aspiring artist, flew to Paris, heading to the School of the Parisian Chamber of Couture to develop her skills. What followed were fourteen years of crazy adventures in the Maison Chanel sewing workshops “among exceptional fabrics, semi-precious stone embroidery…”. A small hand in haute couture and ready-to-wear, the apprentice seamstress learns through hard work, rigor, attention to detail and patience. “ Nothing can be hidden or concealed, everything must be done according to the rules of the art. »
UPCYCLED AND STYLISH MODELS
On April 24, 2013, when more than a thousand textile workers died in the collapse of a factory in Bangladesh, she became aware of the disastrous effects of fast fashion on people and the planet. “I never went into an H&M or a Zara again, a bit like a vegetarian who decides to no longer eat meat.” In 2018, when she left the Chanel workshops to finally give free rein to her creativity, she naturally committed to ethical and responsible work. “I started to hunt for second-hand clothes and as my inspiration grew, I added embroidery, scraps of fabric, lace or tulle that I found in resource stores or in the end of stocks of fashion houses . » A way of bringing new life to abandoned or out-of-fashion clothing, by transforming them into unique pieces.
AN INSPIRING CONCEPT STORE
Today, alongside her lover Rudy Cohen , the seasoned stylist has set up her workshop in their Venitz concept store (contraction of Venice Beach and Biarritz) where she offers her first models very inspired by the ocean , the Californian flow and tinged with the couture spirit dear to Biarritz. While Madame sews, Monsieur selects emerging eco-responsible brands for the store (Ecoalf, Mud jeans, Oskol, etc.) in line with their convictions. They also jointly imagined the “Eco Création” clothing line, a series of t-shirts and sweatshirts, in organic cotton and printed in Bidart.
The neighborhood's residents are starting to entrust her with their old fabrics, the actress Cécile Cassel is even a regular here... Morgane, the shy stylist, is learning little by little to tame the light!
