Exploring the World of Haute Couture Through the Embroidery of Kyoko Sugiura, an Embroidery Artist Active in Paris

Paris, home to the embroidery techniques that underpin haute couture collections. One Japanese artist is leading the way in this field, embroidery artist Kyoko Sugiura.

Haute couture refers to tailored clothes made by shops affiliated with the the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode ('Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion'). This association was founded in the latter half of the 19th century by Charles Frederick Worth, the exclusive designer for Napoleon III's wife, Eugénie, and became the foundation of the French fashion industry after undergoing a reorganization in the first half of the 20th century.

Until today, the extravagant and overwhelmingly beautiful attire that has been expressed and presented there has made France a center of fashion. What embellishes these fabrics is the intricate embroidery by skilled craftsmen.

In France, Sugiura built her career from scratch with a single needle, competing with French people as a foreigner. Connecting her with France is a technique of embroidery called 'Crochet de Lunéville', which was born in a place called Lunéville in eastern France and has been primarily used in haute couture.