A conversation with...Hubert Barrère

A conversation with...

Hubert Barrère 

Fashion designer, visual artist, and corset maker, Hubert Barrère is a craftsmanship poet. Artistic Director of the embroidery house Lesage since 2011 and member of the board of directors of IFM Alumni, he has collaborated with renowned luxury houses and created costumes for artists such as Claudine Drai. From Thierry Mugler to Karl Lagerfeld, Hubert takes us through the most memorable moments of his career.

Do you remember your first discovery of fashion?

When I was a child, I was unknowingly drawing, much like Monsieur Jourdain, the famous Bourgeois gentilhomme from Molière’s play, was unknowingly writing prose. I drew stiletto heels and dresses in the margins of my Clairefontaine notebooks. My real discovery of fashion came many years later when I saw a Vogue magazine on the back seat of a car belonging to an elegant neighbour of my parents. It intrigued me, and so I was curious enough to seek it out in a specialist bookstore, as living in the provinces, we didn’t have that kind of magazine in every newsagent. It was my discovery of an unknown world. I must have been about ten years old, although I had already been drawing since the age of four.

Was there a turning point in your career that changed everything for you?

There have been many. I’ve had the fortune of meeting exceptional people, geniuses throughout my life. I was fortunate enough to meet Robert Badinter, who was for me a model of integrity and humanism. I had the luck to speak with and work alongside Hubert de Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent when I was young, discussing embroidery as I was working for Vermont at the time. I had the privilege of meeting Monsieur Lesage and becoming friends. I had the opportunity to work with Karl Lagerfeld for twenty-one years and with Virginie Viard. I was lucky to have known Maria Casarès, Antoine Vitez, and his troupe. These meetings were all pivotal. I also had the fortune of designing Madonna’s wedding corset for Stella McCartney. And finally, I had the honour of creating corsets for Alexander McQueen and John Galliano for several years, and there are so many more...

Can you tell us about a moment that particularly marked you during your studies at École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne?

My first internship at Thierry Mugler: for the first time in my life, I stepped directly into the world of Fashion as a "junior intern." I discovered the pace of work, the creative madness, the demands, the buzzing hive that I was observing. We worked more at night than during the day because Thierry Mugler was used to arriving late in the evening. It fascinated me—it was crazy!

What does the IFM Alumni association mean to you?

At ECSP, I met people I still know today, whether they are in fashion or not. The school not only teaches you a profession but also helps you build a network. Getting to know each other, staying in touch, and supporting each other is crucial. IFM Alumni is a community of intellects, skills, affinities, and mutual aid.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become an Artistic Director?

To have fiery patience. One doesn’t become an Artistic Director straight out of school. It’s about relentless work, experience, encounters, and of course, opportunities that allow you to eventually get there. My main advice is not to try to be someone other than yourself. Being authentic is probably the greatest secret to success. Wanting to be someone else means you’re no longer embracing your own uniqueness. Being different is essential in fashion. So be yourself, stand by what you are and what you feel creatively. However, it’s also important to have doubts. It seems to me that there is nothing worse than certainties without reflection.

Interview by Sophie Dajez (IFM MS 2023)

After studying social sciences and communications and gaining professional experience in the art world, Sophie Dajez completed the Fashion and Luxury Management Masters at the Institut Français de la Mode in 2022. Sophie now writes for brands, fashion houses and magazines and is co-founder and moderator of the Backstage Fashion Talks association.