Collection Chart
The chart combined all the looks of a collection and the information pertaining to them. It was part of a set of documents used in the design process.
The chart helped balance a collection and was structured according to the types of garments presented in it. The front page listed the number of designs per category and the number of designs each model would be wearing during the fashion show.
The designs were categorised by type of garment.
Christian Dior liked to give each of his designs an evocative name, which could be found in the chart.
A sketch illustrated each design. There were sometimes two for the same design, if it was an ensemble (e.g., jacket and dress).
The names of the heads of atelier responsible for the garments appeared on the left-hand side. The category of the atelier was not indicated, so the name was the only way of knowing whether the design had been assigned to a “flou” or a “tailor” atelier.
A sample of the design fabric was pinned in.
If the design was embroidered, the embroiderer’s name, such as Rébé, Ginesty, Lesage or Metral, would usually be indicated on the left of the fabric sample, preceded by the abbreviation “Br.”.
Finally, the name of the model wearing the dress on the catwalk was written next to the name of the design, preceded by the abbreviation “s/”.
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