Cadolle ~ Need I Say More?
Walking by The Bryant Park Hotel on 40th street this afternoon, huddled under a sheepskin coat and jealous about my husband departing for Cabo San Lucas Saturday, I was stopped in my tracks by their lobby windows. A confluence of mirrors reflecting solitary blooms of pink and chartreuse floral bouquets immediately reminded me of the new printed Kelly corset that the legendary house of Cadolle will launch this month. I always stop to visit Poupie Cadolle when I go to the Salon De Lingerie in Paris. This venerable brand has been passed from generation to generation for 125 years and I find chatting with this Grand Dame of Lingerie inspirational. Schooled in the real art of foundations, and a connoisseur of luxury fabrics, she nonetheless is a modern woman cognizant of the evolutionary process inherent in the art of lingerie tailoring. Although the House of Cadolle has served many celebratory women, names reserved for the mystique of discretion; they have also been pioneers throughout their history. Poupie’s great great grandmother invented and patented the first bra, albeit with whalebone. But it took 20 years until WWI, when woman were forced into factories that her idea caught on and challenged the functionality of the corset for everyday living. Today, in a serendipitous turn around, Cadolle foundations have moved out from under the proprietary dress to crossover into contemporary designer apparel. I know there are many corset makers today, and I respect some of them. But there is nothing quite like going to the original source to appreciate authenticity.
“There Is Nothing New Except What Has Been Forgotten” ~ Marie Antoinette
