Jérôme Derruau is the general director of L’Artisan Costumier, a Lyon-based company specializing in the making of lawyers’ dresses. He was on the set of the show “6 Minutes Chrono” to present his company born in 1843.
Jérôme Derruau explains: “Each dress is cut and assembled individually, to the person’s measurements. We still work with paper patterns and there is a lot of work by hand, especially on the shoulders. It’s a very long job. So, the particularity is that we don’t make batches of dresses, each time it’s a dress for a particular person.“In total, making a lawyer’s dress takes around 5 to 6 hours of work.
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An important item of clothing in the life of a lawyer: “For young lawyers, it marks the end of studies, the entry into professional life, long studies which have just been completed when they obtain their CAPA, their diploma. And so, purchasing that gown is very important to them and even more so since there is a swearing-in within a month or two of graduation. There is this ceremonial side too which recalls a little the spirit of the bride’s dress. In fact, there is a strong attachment. It’s also strong. And it’s an outfit that they will, if they take care of it, keep for the rest of their lives.“
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The general director of the costume designer is also developing another aspect of the Costume Artisan: “Historically, the company was a weaving company that weaved for religious congregations. And so, we have very specific know-how on everything that is reviewed. And the cinema sometimes calls on us for religious outfits. Films like Sister Smile, for example. Or otherwise, as we are experts in lawyer dresses, we also made dresses for the film J’accuse. It’s true that when we work with costume designers, costume designers for some who have had a Caesarean, it’s quite rewarding for us. So there you have it, yes, the world of cinema sometimes calls on us.”
More details in the video...
The full transcript of the show:
Hello everyone, welcome to the show 6 minutes chrono, the daily meeting of the Lyon Capitale editorial staff. Today, we are going to talk about local and perhaps unsuspected know-how. This is the company L’Artisan Costumier, founded in 1843 in Saint-Genis-Laval. She is now in Feyzin and she specializes in lawyers’ dresses. It is a rare know-how and a stone’s throw from Lyon. To talk about it, we welcome Jérôme Derruau, who is the general director of L’Artisan Costumier. Hello Jérôme Derruau. Thank you for coming to our set. We’re going to get to the heart of the matter. First of all, can you explain to us the concept of L’Artisan Costumier? What are you doing ?
L’Artisan Costumier has been a family business for six generations. It is a tailoring workshop specializing in the creation of costumes for all legal professions. Lawyers, magistrates, clerks. Made-to-measure and customizable dresses.
Alright. It’s quite rare in France. There are only a few of you doing this. Can you tell us, you say all professions, it’s not just the lawyer’s dress. When you say all the legal professions, are there other things? Can you tell us a little about what type of product we can find apart from the lawyer’s dress?
The magistrate’s dress, which is very close to the lawyer’s dress, they are similar. The clerk’s dress is the same as that of a lawyer, but with a few fewer accessories. We are still on a garment that is always loose, with particular specificities, but still on this black garment. Or red for certain magistrates.
With stoats too. There are still strong accessories, symbolically strong in any case.
Yes, with ermine fur for the magistrates, the large scarves that we can see in front.
Here you can find it on your website too. Can you tell us how you make these professional clothes?
The particularity is that each dress is cut and assembled individually, to the person’s measurements. We still work with paper patterns and there is a lot of work by hand, especially on the shoulders. It’s a very long job. So, the particularity is that we don’t make batches of dresses, each time it’s a dress for a particular person.
Is it all tailor-made?
Everything is tailor-made and with additional customization options. You almost never have the same dress twice.
And so, on average, I know it’s difficult to give a figure perhaps, but how long does it take a tailor or a seamstress to make a standard lawyer’s dress, let’s say?
So, making a lawyer’s dress takes around 5 to 6 hours of work, if we add the measuring. Afterwards, in pure production, we have 5 hours of work between cutting and editing.
All right. And we talked about it before the show. It’s important to the wearer. How much does this outfit mean to your customers?
So, it’s very symbolic and it’s true that it marks for young lawyers, the end of studies, the entry into professional life, long studies which have just been completed when they obtain their CAPA, their diploma. And so, purchasing that gown is very important to them and even more so since there is a swearing-in within a month or two of graduation. There is this ceremonial side too which recalls a little the spirit of the bride’s dress. In fact, there is a strong attachment. It’s also strong. And it’s an outfit that they will, if they take care of it, keep for the rest of their lives.
Ah yes, the durability of the lawyer’s dress, is it really on a lifetime scale? Don’t we have 18 in the cupboard?
They say a lawyer dies in his third dress. That roughly gives the dress change rate. But it’s true that someone who takes care of it can keep it for a lifetime. And for us, it’s important too. When we make a piece of clothing, we say to ourselves that potentially, it will accompany the person throughout their career. And we’re not talking about disposable products. So it also brings meaning to our work.
And how can we find you? Where can we buy your products, your lawyer robes?
So first of all on our website, where we are very easy to find. And we also have four partner stores, two in Paris, one in Lyon and one in Marseille. Because even though we can do a lot of things remotely, we like to take measurements. And going to the store or going to the showroom is good. For people who cannot travel, we also do it by video. Because taking measurements is a very important step in the job we do.
And are there new needs, trends in accessories perhaps for example among lawyers?
So new needs, not necessarily. On the other hand, identified needs, yes. Namely a dress that does not crease, which will be practical. Since the lawyer, he will ball up his dress under his arm and not take good care of it. And what they still want is for the dress not to wrinkle. So that’s an important request. And we also have a request so that they don’t get too hot in the dress. And for that, we have a whole bunch of materials and solutions to respond to these issues.
And also, you don’t just make lawyer robes. You also sometimes have a costume activity. You are the costume maker. You have some feats of arms to highlight for us, I believe, in films in particular…
So historically, the company was a weaving company that weaved for religious congregations. And so, we have very specific know-how on everything that is reviewed. And the cinema sometimes calls on us for religious outfits. Movies like Sister smile, For example. Or otherwise, as we are experts in lawyer dresses, we also made the dresses for the film I accuse. So it’s true that when we work with costume designers, costume designers for some who have been Caesarized, it’s quite rewarding for us. So there you have it, yes, the world of cinema sometimes calls on us.
And I also noted that you have prestigious clients. I noted Philippe Seguin. That’s it, we can say a word about it.
Quite. So in 2004, when he was appointed first president of the Court of Auditors, he called on our services. And it is in the history of the costume designer, the first feat of arms, we will say, with someone famous. So yes, Philippe Seguin, we made her dress.
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