With the COVID situation overseas having settled down considerably, brands have begun holding exhibitions during fashion week again.
This time we, too, travelled to Paris for the first time in about 3 and a half years, and on to the home of the GEOFFREY B.SMALL atelier:
CAVARZERE(Kavarutsere), Italy.
Today we'd like to tell you about the atelier of GEOFFREY B.SMALL, whose new pieces are due to arrive this week.
After 4 days of exhibitions in Paris, we headed to Venice Airport Marco Polo.
As soon as we landed, Geoffrey's staff were there to pick us up by car. We drove for about 1 hour past green lanes, rivers and farmland to CAVARZERE.
CAVARZERE is a town rich in nature on the banks of the Adige, Italy's 2nd-longest river.
The vast plain, with its low humidity, dry air and strong sunshine, and the waters of the Adige, rich in calcium and other substances that benefit dyeing, form an environment essential to Hand Wash, Hand Dyed, one of his most important processes.
This region is also home to many of the world's finest material suppliers.
PIACENZA, founded in 1733; Luigi Parisotto, which also produces Geoffrey's original fabrics; FONTANA, maker of the finest buttons, whose unusual details delight us every time; special silks from around Lake Como…
Wonderful materials closely tied to Geoffrey abound here.
When we arrived at the atelier, Geoffrey and his atelier staff greeted us in front of the entrance.
From there, Geoffrey himself showed us around every space in the atelier.
Through the entrance door was a staircase leading up to the workrooms, lined with the history of how GEOFFREY B.SMALL became what it is today.
1979: started with just 1 SINGER sewing machine
Founded in Boston; featured in AMERICAN VOGUE and other publications
Early 1990s: moved the atelier to Italy; in 1994, debuted at the Paris collections as only the 3rd American designer in history… and so on
Along the stairs hung magazine articles from around the world, including one from Japan's Senken Shimbun.
At the top of the stairs, a sign reads 【 GBS Superworkrooms】, and beyond it lie 3 large, separate rooms.
The Showroom, the Workroom and the Archiveroom. Each must be well over 100 tsubo
We'd love to show you what each of these spaces was like.
However, the atelier has a rule: photographs may be taken only of products when placing orders… Photographing the spaces themselves is strictly prohibited.
In his words: "These days, SNS lets you see everything. That has its good side, but I want the wonderful work we do here to be something special — seen only by the buyers and shop staff who visit, and known only to the customers who come to their stores."
●Showroom
Geoffrey's new collection pieces were lined up just as if we were back in the Paris showroom
●Workroom
The space where dozens of staff make the garments. The processes here are so meticulously calculated that it's hard to believe everything is done by hand.
1, Cutting space (everything is cut by hand with scissors, not by machine) 2, Pattern space (all done by hand using paper patterns; working by hand allows even steep, difficult curves to be shaped beautifully) 3, Sewing space 4, Hand-sewing space (where all stitching, from attaching buttons and buttonholes to hand embroidery…, is done by hand) 5, Dyeing space (hand washing, hand dyeing, tumbler space) 6, Order management space 7, President's space 8, Accounting space 9, Checking space 10, Special order space (where Geoffrey himself takes customized orders for VIPs) 11, Shooting space (where Geoffrey personally photographs and manages every piece produced here)…
What struck us most was, first of all, GEOFFREY B.SMALL's signature: hand dyeing.
Here, of course, pieces are hand-dyed using a variety of methods and dyes. The gases released during dyeing and the liquid left afterwards can contain harmful substances, so they cannot simply be discarded. He therefore established a system that can restore the used dye liquid to 100% clean water, and discharges the treated water in accordance with national regulations. Beyond his superb dyeing technique, we were deeply struck by a care for the environment that goes beyond sustainability.
The president's space is an open area in full view of everyone, making it easy to check in with every workspace.
It struck us as so very Geoffrey
At the checking space, the final stage of production, Geoffrey personally tries on every item he has made, one by one, and checks every detail. We were told that out of every 5 or so pieces that come up, 3 are sent back to production.
It made us wonder how many other brands there are where the designer himself checks every single piece in such detail…
Only after all these steps does each item receive Geoffrey's handwritten signature.
Seeing each professional craftsperson carefully build every stage of the work, we truly felt the beauty of making things by hand.
What the GEOFFREY B.SMALL brand has stood for until now, where it aims to go next, and where it stands…
We felt his determination to do what other brands cannot, and to take the brand to even greater heights.
And the Italian meal we shared with Geoffrey during our 2 days of ordering was the best:)
Many of the items we ordered should be arriving from CAVARZERE very soon.
Currently, in the Kanto area, GEOFFREY B.SMALL is available only at our own Carrefour and Katati to Tè.
We'll post new pieces as they arrive, so stay tuned.
2024,01,15
