Designers from Atelier Emelia Paris say that the bride should wear her wedding dress like her favorite pair of jeans, i.e. freely and naturally. From 1972, they shaped European wedding and evening fashion, making thousands of women happy. After more than forty years of creating dresses under the Cymbeline brand, three sisters and the daughter of one of them are entering the fashion stage with a new company.
Atelier Emelia Paris inspires but also redefines the concept of French haute couture. In an interview with Sophie Delaroche, her co-founder, we will ask, among others for a new chapter in the life of the brand and we’ll find out what a typical French Bride looks like and how a traditional wedding takes place in the country on the Loire.
What were the beginnings of Atelier Emelia Paris? As we know, its founders previously co-founded the Cymbeline fashion house …
This is a new brand created by three sisters: Chantal and Monique Joubert with my mother, Evelyne Delaroche, who were previously the founders and designers of the Cymbeline brand. The name Atelier Emelia Paris is extremely unique to us because it refers to people and places that are very important in our lives. The word atelier is for us a symbol of work and the heart of the brand. In turn, Emelia refers to the names of my great- and great-grandmothers, who we wanted to pay homage to in this way. It was my great-grandmother who was the first dress designer in our family. In contrast, Paris crowns the name due to the fact that it is a city famous for its everlasting fashion and style. This is a new chapter in our professional life after Cymbeline. Within six years, the company has suffered significantly from its internal problems, and despite the fact that we eventually managed to overcome them, unfortunately we lost it in December 2014.
What is the philosophy of Atelier Emelia Paris?
The most important is the product and knowledge on how to create it. Atelier Emelia Paris is a unique and beautiful brand created by the best tailors and designers. We wanted to supplement the shortage of such services through the unique creativity and exclusivity of our dresses. Thanks to our earlier achievements, Atelier Emelia Paris can really be compared to a young designer with 200 years of experience!
How are wedding dresses created for women around the world?
This work is above all two components: a passion for design and a great pleasure to realize the dreams of women in love who feel extremely happy on their wedding day. When designing, we do not create any universal model that will work in relation to the whole world, but we are working with this one, unique woman who will create a given project. It is a great satisfaction that we will seduce so many future brides with our dresses.
What inspires you to create the collection?
We work around topics that constantly fascinate and stimulate us creatively. Most often, of course, this is haute couture (exclusive fashion – editor’s note), and often also travel and unique materials, especially lace from Calais, which is the most delicate, but also the most expensive lace in the world, and we have been working with it continuously since the beginning of our activity .
Are there any specific styles of wedding dresses in France that the Brides like most?
Regardless of current trends, French women love elegance, style and simplicity. In recent years, the Renaissance has experienced the climate of Parisian bohemia and we see a return to the simple styles associated with it.
Is there a significant difference between today’s brides and those 40 years ago when Cymbeline was created?
The difference in style or – more globally – in the form in which marriages were made can be clearly seen. To this day, it does not change that the Bride is a woman in love who wants to be the most beautiful on this special day. Today, the Bride in France is about 30 years old – she is a mature woman, aware of herself and her strengths, who knows how she wants to present herself during her wedding.
A traditional wedding in France takes place at a castle outside the city. The bride is wearing a very romantic dress on this day and the groom is wearing a black suit. A very important component of the ceremony is … food, but this should not surprise anyone, after all, it is a country famous for its extremely exquisite cuisine.
Where can future brides buy dresses from Atelier Emelia Paris? Only in Paris or are they also available in Poland?
Our first collection came out in April 2015 and we have already established cooperation with 40 places throughout Europe. The latest collection will soon be available in Poland, and more precisely in Gdynia.
