1,400 etchings which chronicled the life of his period, including court life.
From an early age the sisters demonstrated a special talent for dress-making and thus, they pursued this talent.
Whereas Marie (the eldest) was formally trained, the other three were taught by their mother. Early on they began to work with antique laces and ribbons that they would use to enhance their own garments.
Their first shop sold antique lace, ribbons and lingerie but soon their talent and innovation became noticed which led to the opening of their first atelier in 1895. From then on, they quickly became the rage of the Parisian fashion scene, earning a reputation for their attention to detail and the incomparable beauty of their designs.
Their relation to my family came to be during the 1920s. My family, being amongst the most ancient in France, had been in the wine business since 1819 and also, being great supporters of the arts (refer to the Calvet Museum in Avignon), were familiar with the etchings of Jacques Callot.
The relationship between Calvet and Callot was one of business. Calvet had become an investor in the Callot label; allowing the sisters to expand their atelier, hire and train more seamstresses, move to more prom-
inent quarters to serve their elegant clientele and enhance their perfume line.
By the 1920’s Callot Soeurs was a sought after label for their dresses and capes and the house launched its line of French perfumes - its first named “Bel Oiseau Bleu.” What did the fashion industry look like at this time and how did the Callot Soeurs label overcome the challenges of this time period?
Following the war, Europe was in crisis because even though France had came back victorious, the First World War had a big impact on the morale of the French. Indeed, they had seen so many disabled people and a lot of them lost part of their family, so after four years of distress and austerity they wanted the war to be the "der des ders" (last of the last). They felt they needed to enjoy life to the fullest once again, thus starting a new period full of lightness and distractions.
This led to what became known as the "Années Folles". This fascinating decade which began after the First World War and ended with the economic crisis of 1929. During this period, the behaviour of the French suddenly changed, with an aspiration to joy and debauchery, particularly in the upper and middle classes. The French tried by all means to get rid of the pre-war values.
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