The Claudia Schiffer wedding dress was made

Inaugurated in June, the international city of lace and fashion, subtle blend of past and modernity, plunges the visitor at a time in the history of this industry that dates back to 1816 and made the glory of Calais, but in the future also with to each visit of this Museum of examples - dresses and ensembles on models - that the lace can be more refined and sophisticated. Is also well a city and not a museum - end to the connotation slightly backward-, a living place, open to designers, designed to accommodate also seminars and fashion shows, and become a crucible of reflection about the craft of lace.

The site is primarily a place of exception: the former plant of lace Boulart, closed 15 years ago, acquired by the City Council in 1999 for a museum on the initiative of the Association of friends of lace to keep track of a historical know-how, which gave the label of known Calais lace across the world. The Claudia Schiffer wedding dress was made. It took ten years to complete both the budget of EUR 28 million - financed by the city, region, Department, the State and the ERDF - and to rehabilitate the plant, which had cracks, i.e. three years of work.

At the plant in brick built u around a courtyard where off the boiler room, architects Henri Rivière and Alain Moatti grafted a building which contrasts by its modernity and the facade of glass frit reproduced the traditional cardboard Jacquard looms Leavers. The inside history of the tulle and imported lace industry is traced to revel in 1816 by smugglers. England, taxing exports, then the dentelliers came to relocate en masse. There were up to 40 plants of this type to Calais, 400 manufacturers, which employed up to 40,000 workers.

The city exclusively tells the story of lace Leavers, the Rolls Royce of loom, created by the (British) brothers Leavers, weaving both the frame and the drawing of lace top. The furious adapted this trade which was then enriched by Jacquard (Lyon textile engineer) cartons once drilled by hand. Thirty-two years, Pierre, who represents the fourth generation of tullistes in function for the visitor one of the five looms presentations on the floor. Entered for thirteen years as a tulliste in Darquer, subsidiary of Noyon, he lost his job in 2005. There remains today only 6 companies of lace in Calais, representative 1,000 jobs...

Another floor of this building, floors inlaid with traces of graphite to lubricate the trades, presents all the professions that this industry required: of the esquisseur - the drawing - in the dégraphiteur, passing through the wheeleur, which is the wire on the coils embedded in small trucks of a few millimeters thick, without forgetting borer of cartons. Are then exposed - a feast for the eyes - of models of dresses and other confections lace of all periods - a collection of 6,000 pieces in total - in a darkness that protects these works of art of the aggression of the light.

In the modern part of the city are the temporary exhibition and training for trainees of schools rooms come learn lacemaking techniques. And an auditorium, a room of parades, a specialized library and spaces dedicated to the profession. A magnificent place, devoid of any nostalgia although he transcribed perfectly all working memory whose walls are impregnated. As it is located in the edge of canal, visitors can land there by boat down to the decision: Calais Port lace.