MAISON ESENDAL
Craftsmanship
The Art of Pet Couture.
A piece from Maison Esendal takes far longer to make than it takes to describe. What follows is an account of how it is done.
Material selection
We begin with cloth. Ivory silks, fine tulle and lace are chosen for how they fall rather than how they photograph, and every material is assessed for softness against the skin before it is considered for a design. A fabric that looks beautiful but sits stiffly against a companion's chest is not used.
Lace and embellishment
Lace is cut by hand so that its pattern runs true across a garment rather than being interrupted at the seam. Where a design calls for pearl or beadwork, each element is applied individually and secured, not glued and not applied in sheets. This is the slowest part of the process and the reason our editions are small.
Construction
Seams are finished on the inside as carefully as the outside, because a seam that is invisible to you is not invisible to the animal wearing it. Fastenings are positioned to avoid pressure points. Linings are chosen to sit smoothly rather than to add structure.
Fit and comfort
Our patterns are drawn around three measurements — neck, chest and back length — rather than around breed, because two dogs of the same breed can differ considerably. Freedom of movement takes priority over silhouette wherever the two are in tension.
Our pieces are designed for supervised wear during occasions. They are not intended for extended or unsupervised use.
Small production
Each design is made to order in an edition of twenty pieces. We produce this way because it is the only way to work at this level of finish, and because we would rather make twenty pieces properly than two thousand approximately.
Every piece arrives with a numbered certificate recording its place in the edition.