Down a passageway on the Rue Saint-Honoré, in Paris, sandwiched between the startling glamour of Chanel and Saint Laurent, there is a glass door stuck with peeling photographs that make up the Cadolle family tree. This family business has been making corsets since the late 1800s, with current clients including designers such as John Galliano (who hired them to make corsets for his Maison Margiela Artisanal couture show) and stars such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.
Poupie Cadolle, now 78, welcomes me into the mirrored salon, “Welcome!” and arranges herself elegantly beside me on a fuchsia sofa, re-tying her silk neck scarf to tell their story. “It’s a very long story!” she warns, leaning in.
