What makes Paris so unique, aside from its inimitable charm and the beauty discovered around every cobbled corner, are this fashion capital’s artisanal ateliers. It is behind these doors that creative magic happens if you are lucky enough to open one of them.

I recently had the opportunity to discover one of these venerated ateliers with Secret Journeys Paris. Maison Legeron, dating back to 1727, is one of the last independent workshops of its kind. Bruno Legeron hand-crafts silk flowers and feather details, using the same techniques passed down to him from three generations.

Accompanied by Harriet Welty Rochefort, award-winning author of three books about French culture, I entered the bespoke world of Atelier Legeron. It was Bruno Legeron who greeted us and animatedly spoke about his decades-old clients, Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent among them. It was Legeron who crafted camellias even before they became a signature of Chanel!

The tour continued to the workshops where skillful artisans were fastidiously sewing feather details for YSL shoes. I even had a chance to try on a luxurious boa and discover variations in feathers and exactly how they are dyed. From there I learned about the silk dying process and got a peek into the rooms where the flowers are cut and composed. What a privilege!

I was left in awe as I explored this history ridden atelier, learning 17th-century techniques from the master craftsman himself. With Bruno Legeron at the helm, it became even more clear why Paris sets the stage for haute couture.

Discover the magic of flowers and feathers at Atelier Legeron by taking your own Secret Journey in Paris.