Podcast Summary: Dressed: The History of Fashion
Episode: Getting Dressed in Paris 2025, Part II
Hosts: Cassie Zachary and April Callahan
Guest: Rebecca Devaney (Textile Tours of Paris)
Release Date: September 10, 2025

Overview

This episode is a richly detailed journey through the hidden worlds of Parisian fashion heritage, craft, and shopping, as experienced on the Dressed Fashion History Tour and through Rebecca Devaney’s celebrated Textile Tours of Paris. The conversation explores Rebecca’s personal and professional journey from Ireland to Paris, her training at the legendary Lesage embroidery school, her work with Paris couture houses, and her uniquely immersive textile, haberdashery, and flea market tours. The episode also highlights the intersection of centuries-old handcraft, Parisian culture, and contemporary fashion history education, peppered with stories from behind the scenes of workshops, boutiques, and ateliers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rebecca Devaney’s Parisian Story

• Background: Irish by birth, Rebecca studied textile arts in Dublin before moving to Paris in 2017 to train as a tambour (Lunéville) embroiderer at École Lesage ([02:55]).
  • “I wanted to realize my dream of going to Paris and studying at Lesage to become a timbre embroiderer. That had been my dream since I was about 18.” – Rebecca ([02:55])
• Training: Described the physical rigor of embroidery school – working up to 16 hours a day, and the immense pride in completing her embroidery ‘visual cv’ ([04:46], [06:55]).
  • “It took me about six months to train. I was doing 14 to 16 hours of embroidery per day, seven days a week… But I was just so excited and delighted to be part of this wonderful textile and embroidery heritage.” – Rebecca ([04:46])
• Professional Embroidery: Rebecca worked for Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and others as a contract embroiderer ([09:29]).
  • “My first mission was for Chanel… Then Louis Vuitton… making gowns for Catherine Deneuve, the Princess of Monaco… and seeing my embroidery being worn by these people in magazines and on the red carpet.” – Rebecca ([09:29])

2. Birth & Philosophy of Textile Tours of Paris

• Genesis: Driven by love for craft traditions and scarcity of good guidance for non-locals, Rebecca started tours to bridge seekers and the “hidden” world of Parisian haberdasheries and ateliers ([13:40]).
  • “I realized there would be other people… looking to find these wonderful haberdasheries… [that] don’t have large Internet presences. Rather than have their heads bent in Google Maps… I could bring them.” – Rebecca ([13:40])
• Philosophy: Tours focus on the stories of craftspeople (especially women), tradition, sensory experience, and etiquette–not just “shopping trips” ([13:40]).

3. Unpacking the Parisian Handcraft Culture

• Specialization: French craft education is about mastery and long apprenticeships—intense discipline starting from a young age ([15:39]).
  • “You’ll do your official two-year training… then begins your unofficial seven-year apprenticeship… You have dedicated nine years of your life to being an embroiderer.” – Rebecca ([15:39])
• Quiet Passion: Parisians express mastery through expertise, not self-promotion ([17:59]).
  • “French people don’t shout from the rooftops that they’re the best, they just know it.” – Rebecca ([15:39])

4. Highlights from the Textile Tour: Parisian Institutions Up Close

Ultramod (Notions Store) ([21:52])

• Oldest haberdashery in Paris, est. 1832; originally part of the bustling hat-making district.
• Emphasizes rarity and exceptional quality of vintage French buttons, ribbons, linen, and specialty materials.
  • “We’re in button heaven. And you might find a button from Mehru… a ceramic button from the 1930s… it’s my favorite place to visit.” – Rebecca ([21:52])
• Shopping etiquette: Always greet upon entry (“bonjour”), and expect patient, conversational service ([27:35]).
• “It encourages us to slow down and to really appreciate what we're seeing.” – Rebecca ([27:35])

Annie Bouquet (Needlepoint Boutique) ([29:31])

• Charming, 18th-century storefront; Annie designs and paints all canvases by hand upstairs.
• Blends art and craft—a rarity in the traditionally siloed French system.
• Notable clientele: French military officers buy needlepoint kits for meditative practice during deployments ([32:55]).
• “She believes very strongly in the healing powers of needlecraft… she considers herself a doctor and… prescribes needlepoint kits for her patients.” – Rebecca ([30:04])

Aqaba (Glove Boutique) ([34:19])

• Specialist glove shop near Palais Royal
• Features rainbow of colors and hand-fitting rituals; gloves are functional yet symbols of craftsmanship.
  • “There’s a way to be fitted for gloves… a special way to hold your hand… and a tool, an official glove stretcher… It's a fascinating world…” – Rebecca ([35:42])
• Emphasizes the sensory, ceremonial aspects of Paris shopping.

Au Ver à Soie (Silk Thread Maker) ([40:51])

• 205-year-old, family-owned silk thread house, awarded for preserving French artisanship.
• Exclusive access via Rebecca’s tours; Natalie, 5th gen owner, walks guests through their silk’s heritage and uses (including fly-fishing, surgical sutures, dental floss!) ([42:40], [44:57]).
• “When you start using silk threads, it's the first step on your road to ruin.” – Rebecca ([42:40])

Samplers of Seduction Embroidery Kits & Workshops ([46:08])

• Rebecca’s pandemic-born initiative providing embroidery kits featuring only the finest French-made materials and tools.
  • “I wanted [students] to have access to the same materials… so I developed these embroidery boxes where I could share my skills and know the craftsperson behind each piece.” – Rebecca ([46:08])
• Kits include online courses on stitches, techniques, and fashion/craft history—available beyond the tour ([49:54]).

Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (The Flea Market) ([50:25])

• Largest, most famous flea market in Paris (actually just outside the city) – 13 markets, over 1,700 dealers.
• Tours focus on meeting expert vendors (fans, fashion plates, textiles, necessaires), building relationships, and learning the stories behind the treasures ([52:56], [56:17]).
  • “It’s not like a car boot sale or a yard sale… this market has been here since the 19th century… you have these boutiques with beautiful display cabinets.” – Rebecca ([52:56])

Atelier Caraco (Costume & Haute Couture Atelier) ([61:28])

• Behind-the-scenes access to one of the last Paris ateliers making costumes for film, stage, couture, and private clients.
• Led by Claudine; renowned for skill-sharing and collaboration with major couture houses.
  • “Atelier Caraco isn’t just doing the best of the best costumes for film, tv, movies… they are the secret weapon of the haute couture industry.” – April ([63:50])
• Workshops in partnership with Rebecca planned for June 2026 ([66:42]).

Memorable Quotes

“French people don’t shout from the rooftops that they’re the best, they just know it. And if you don’t know that they’re the best, that says more about you.”
— Rebecca ([15:39])

“I wanted to realize my dream of going to Paris and studying at Lesage to become a timbre embroiderer. That had been my dream since I was about 18… and the reality was a little bit different.”
— Rebecca ([02:55])

“Being the best is very much what they appreciate… and that for me, as an educator, was one of the trickiest things to understand about the culture.”
— Rebecca ([15:39])

“We’re in button heaven. And you might find a button from Mehru… a ceramic button from the 1930s… it’s my favorite place to visit.”
— Rebecca ([21:52])

“French craftspersons don’t promote themselves openly and loudly. They just know they're the best.”
— April ([14:54])

“Gloves for spring, summer, autumn, winter, going to the opera, driving, playing golf, going for a night out—it's a whole other world.”
— Rebecca ([34:19])

“It’s such an honor to bring groups into Atelier Caraco because they don’t open their doors very often... The guests really enjoyed it this year and last, and I think again, the theme that runs through the tours is sharing in people’s joy.”
— Rebecca ([61:28])

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:55] — Rebecca’s journey from Ireland to Paris and Lesage training
• [09:29] — Working for major couture houses on embroidery missions
• [13:40] — The genesis and philosophy of Textile Tours of Paris
• [15:39] — The culture of craft mastery and specialization in France
• [21:52] — Tour of Ultramod, etiquette, and sensory experience
• [29:31] — Annie Bouquet, needlepoint as art/therapy/history
• [34:19] — Aqaba: glove boutique handcrafting as ceremony
• [40:51] — Au Ver à Soie: silk threads, history, and exclusivity
• [46:08] — “Samplers of Seduction” embroidery kits and teaching
• [50:25] — The Saint-Ouen flea market: navigating, stories, finds
• [61:28] — Atelier Caraco: atelier visit, couture, and upcoming 2026 workshops
• [66:25] — Teaser: June 2026 special workshop collaboration with Atelier Caraco

Notable Moments

• The “funeral shroud” embroidery sample ([07:03])—Rebecca’s emotional connection to her Lesage “visual cv.”
• Visual and tactile joys at Ultramod: The “silk twirl” that demonstrates the structure and luxury of old duchess satin ([25:13]).
• Etiquette insight: French shopping as cultural performance—importance of “bonjour” ([27:35]).
• Needlecraft and healing: Annie Bouquet calls herself a doctor and prescribes needlepoint for the soul ([30:04]).
• Unexpected uses for silk: Fly fishing lures, surgical sutures, dental floss ([44:57]).
• Flea Market treasures: Original 18th-century fashion plates, French erotica, porcelain, vintage books ([56:17], [57:45]).
• Tearing up at Atelier Caraco: The emotional power of textile mastery, revealed in a private atelier ([65:18]).

Conclusion

This episode is a sensory- and story-rich celebration of the expertise, tradition, humility, and quiet pride underpinning Paris’s extraordinary craft and fashion history. Rebecca brings listeners behind the scenes, into places and processes that keep the heart of haute couture, artisanal heritage, and textile storytelling alive. The promise of more in-person and online experiences—including a 2026 immersive atelier workshop—invites listeners to go beyond the podcast and experience this living history firsthand.

For more:

• Textile Tours with Rebecca: textiletoursofparis.com
• Visuals & info: @dressedpodcast on Instagram; DressedHistory.com

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