Charlotte's Story

Charlotte is my great-great-grandmother.

A lacemaker by trade, she came to settle in Biarritz at the beginning of the 1900s.

A contemporary of the Chanel workshops then based in Biarritz, Mercerie Charlotte was renowned for its Haute Couture lace and exceptional buttons, beloved by Coco Chanel herself who used them for her collections.

Later, in the 1940s, it was my grandfather Roger's pleated fabrics that would make the reputation of Mercerie Charlotte. Unlike other pleats in the region, Charlotte Plissés stay in place and do not lose their shape over time. Why? My grandfather diverted a steam engine into which he inserted the pleats, which would "break" the pleat to give it its final shape. An innovation for the time!

For over a hundred years, Mercerie Charlotte has been bringing happiness to the people of Biarritz by offering things that cannot be found elsewhere.

Sublime lace, jeweled buttons and exceptional vintage fabrics had been sleeping in my grandmother's cupboards for years. Happy heir to this sewing treasure, I started to create clothes like that.

My dream today is to bring Charlotte and her soul as a seamstress back to life.