Signe Chanel

At last the big day arrives. It is a fraught time for the PR department, what with would-be-gate-crashers. Finally, the show begins. It is a triumph. In the very last scene, the seamstresses attend the in-house show. This is the ultimate test, as merciless eyes rake the garments for even the tiniest flaw.

A week before the show, the House of Chanel is working flat out. The seamstresses and their assistants are working day and night, and tempers are beginning to fray.The atmosphere is increasingly strained, as everyone wonders whether the collection will be ready in time.

The staff are on tenterhooks, waiting to see Karl Lagerfeld's sketches for the new haute couture collection. As they finally arrive and are shown to the three lead seamstresses, the workroom buzzes with excitement. This is the signal for work to begin on the Winter collection.