10 weeks of lingerie
An introduction to how I got to be here!
The “Modeliste en Lingerie Corseterie” course (Lingerie and Corset design) is fully recognised and financed by the French Government. It also receives funding from the European Union, which contributes towards the running of the course. I feel very, very lucky. Because since November 2013, I have been studying Pattern Drafting and Garment Assembly, which, along with my lingerie course, is fully funded by the French Government under the program FONGECIF. Most French people know of this program. Most expats living in France and probably most foreigners however, don’t really know a lot about it. I only found out about it through my job and discovered that many of my French colleagues had participated in it. I won’t go into alot of detail about it here and will perhaps, leave it for another blog post. However, in a nutshell, the French government provides funding to employees who have been employed in the French system for more than 2 years continuously with a CDD (Contract Duration Determinée) or CDI (Contract Duration Indeterminée) contract who wish to change careers. You have to submit a convincing ‘dossier’ to the FONGECIF listing the course you want to do, why, the duration and the types of jobs that will be available after the course finishes (employable jobs). If accepted they pay for your tuition and your employer continues to pay your salary with all your benefits. The employer is also reimbursed by the FONGECIF making it very attractive for the employer to give you “educational leave (Le congé individuel de formation (CIF))” required to study. I was shocked when I received acceptance into the program and have been happy ever since. Anyway, I digress…
I will be studying as part of the course Stylisme (illustration, design, fabric choices), pattern drafting and assembling/sewing lingerie. Our teacher, in her introduction stated that the lingerie industry was very niche and very closed, which I kind of knew from my experience with the lingerie industry. Luckily, she will be giving us a list of lingerie suppliers which is very interesting as in the Paris fashion district “Sentier” (metro Sentier) you cannot find lingerie suppliers. There is the odd wholesale store that have a small range of Jersey or sating, but generally they are not easy to find. Also, I am the only Anglo speaking student in my class. Which always amuses the other students. Especially as very few teachers and students actually speak English at my school. You would think with Paris being an international city, and also being a fashion school that some of the teachers would have some English speaking skills. I don’t know any other way to put it, its a very French school.
Anyway, if you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to drop me a line below.
cheers
M Sugar
Mademoiselle Sugar 