Building a connection with Maison Bras
This year, the reception team will wear new outfits created for Le Suquet by textile designer and stylist Catherine André , founder and artistic director of a high-end clothing company specializing in knitwear, whose creations travel from Japan to Laguiole.
A collaboration that endures
This designer had already collaborated with the Bras family at La Halle aux Grains , a restaurant within the Bourse de Commerce in Paris where the Pinault Collection is exhibited. She had designed the staff uniforms and had managed to weave a connection with the history of this place, formerly a grain market, where market porters used to transport tons of grain, and whose clothing had notably inspired her.
Outfits designed for comfort, elegance, and the venue
At Le Suquet , the outfits—one for summer, the other for cooler seasons—are made entirely of knitwear, either plain or structured (jacquard knit) for the tops, with necklines that are sometimes round, open, or draped; plain piqué knit (more compact) for the trousers for a more structured drape, or fairly fluid pleated knit for the skirts. All the designs were initially developed in her studio in Millau by a very small team. Then came the time to try on the garments. Each person was able to choose their favorite pieces and combinations. "It's always a moment of truth, where all the team members have to make the outfits their own, and I felt a lot of enthusiasm during that first fitting. Everyone was very comfortable; it was lovely," recalls Catherine André. “These trousers and skirts, as they are knitted, have the advantage of suiting all body types and being both elegant, understated, and comfortable, allowing for freedom of movement and a graceful walk. They will be worn with loafers or flat ballet flats,” explains the designer. She was keen to add an important detail: “The tops are knitted with the cittern motif, an emblematic symbol of the house.” “We chose the colors, imagining them in the space: the reception area with its light wood paneling, the warm lounge opening onto the vastness of the Aubrac region.” As for the manufacturing, we rely on a workshop we’ve worked with for 20 years, a knitwear specialist who knows how to bring to life all the whimsical ideas we like to share with them,” the designer smiles.