Getting to know... Nathalie

NATHALIE DUC, PREMIERE D’ATELIER, CREATURE

1. Can you describe the organisation Creature?

CREATURE was created by the association SOS Femmes in 2011. Our social enterprise or "social business" is designed to support design by creating small volumes of the creations of designers in the region. Everything is designed in our workshop here in Geneva. CREATURE is the partner of local designers who want to create work here without relocating. They can also produce locally, whilst working with a social enterprise!

2. What is your role at Creature and how long have you worked there?

I have been in charge of the workshop since 2014 and I supervise about 15 dressmakers and trainees. Our team is composed of people with varying integration status and we aim to offer them varied tasks in order to constantly develop their skills.

3. Can you describe a typical day at Creature?

No two days are alike at CREATURE. Generally, the team resumes the previous day's work or starts a new project each day. Our team consists of myselg, the MSP (Social Professional Master) and also Noham Reichel and Annie Rubatel, who are my deputies. We go around the workshop to make sure that everyone is clear on the tasks they’re completing, or to give new instructions. The work is divided according to the skills and training objectives of each of our employees and according to the urgency of the production.

And the daily business? We exchange communication with our customers and complete orders of materials. Regarding production, we provide gradations and create patterns and prototypes for our dressmakers. In order to prepare the work for the team, I carry out quality checks and after production, I like to make personalised feedback to our trainers and trainees.

During the day, various meetings are organized with the beneficiaries and the MSP, where we set training workshop objectives. Regularly during the day, our seamstresses come out of the production to advance on their individual, further professional development projects, such as updating their applications, taking French courses, computer courses and internships).


4. What type of brands do you work for?

We are at the service of local designers such as The Laboratory, It's Elle, Infinity by Victoria and Mr. Papillon. Companies, institutions and festivals also contact us to order accessories made from "upcycling" materials.

Thanks to Taillis, we saw the opportunity to expand the training field that we offer our employees. The more diverse materials that we work with, the more skill we can learn. Working with a luxury brand like Tallis is also very rewarding for seamstresses.

6. What do you think of the brand and its sourcing policies?

We are well aligned with the ethos of Tallis, since we also upcycle materials.

7. Do you think the Tallis brand is well suited to Creature as a company?

We have common values that bind us, which are obvious. We work regularly with small luxury goods companies, such as jewelry like Infinity By Victoria, so we’re used to such companies.

8. Has your partnership with Tallis benefited Creature and helped the organization grow?

See question 4.

9. You sew a number of different Tallis products. What is your favorite?

We asked the whole team of seamstresses: they answered the bonnets (they adore the pompons!)

10. Do you and your team enjoy making Tallis products?

Working for the brand The Talllis is very rewarding as we like the quality of the products, the high-end materials they’re made from and the brands image that sits well between sport and glamor.

11. Was it necessary for you and your team to learn new specific skills to make the Tallis range?

We already had some knowledge specific to fur work, but we had to learn more to optimise for larger orders. This allowed us to develop new skills at the workshop, which is very important to us!

12. Do you feel happy when you see the items made at Creature in the Globus department stores and the other boutiques selling Tallis products in Geneva?

It is very pleasing to see the rapid development of this brand and rewarding to discover the products being sold in prestigious outlets.

13. Are there any interesting projects for Creature this year?

Certainly! We have set up a "pool" of independent seamstresses, who have worked with us in the past and are motivated by quality work. For the rest, we will tell you more soon! We always want to move forward and further develop "social business" with all the history that links us to the professional integration of women.