An exceptional gown for Miss Excellence Pays de la Loire
For the Miss Excellence France 2025 pageant, I had the honour of designing and creating the regional costume for Miss Pays de la Loire. This unique project, combining tradition, craftsmanship and passion, was a real challenge… but also an unforgettable personal and artistic journey.
When Tradition Guides Creation
Before creating the folk-inspired gown for Miss Excellence Pays de la Loire, I took the time to thoroughly research the traditional dress of this beautiful region. I studied garment cuts, historic embroidery, symbolic colours and distinctive elements of the region’s folklore. My aim was to honour its cultural authenticity while adding a contemporary, elegant touch true to my own style. Every choice—from the decorative trim to the embroidery—was the result of this passionate research.
It all begins with a sketch
Before I even sharpened my scissors, there was an idea, a vision.
I drew the gown’s sketch by hand, imagining a folk-inspired design with an elegant cut and traditional shapes.
But the centrepiece of this gown is the embroidery, which I also designed myself: a stylised flower with Baroque influences, incorporating the colours of the French flag while symbolising the region’s rich floral heritage.
Embroidery at the heart of the project
Once the design was finalised, the embroidery was created by Chakra Infini…
Every detail of the floral design was digitised, refined and tested, then embroidered in several copies for the different parts of the gown
Fabrics and decorative trims: a meticulous selection
The main fabrics came from my own atelier, Maraval Couture.
For the decorative trims, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Julien Faure in Saint-Étienne. I visited their premises to select the ribbons best suited to the project.
Their generosity helped me enhance every seam.
Exquisite lace was also incorporated into the skirt to embellish the lower part of the gown. It was supplied by Chazelles-sur-Lyon and Madame Souberant, who also spent a week working on the sewing of the skirt.
10 Days of Intensive Assembly
Once all the elements had been brought together, I personally began assembling the dress, piece by piece.
Every ribbon, every panel of fabric and every embroidered detail was positioned with precision to preserve the harmony of the original sketch.
It took ten days of intensive work, of…hand sewing and meticulous finishing work, right up to the final fitting.
A Dress Worn on Stage with Pride
During the grand evening in Belfort, Angelina, Miss Pays de la Loire, walked the stage with elegance and confidence in the dress I had created.
Although our creation did not receive an award, the pride and emotion I felt seeing her wear it on stage were priceless.
Acknowledgements
Julien Faure for the exceptional ribbons and trims.
Chakra Infini for the embroidery.
Chazelles-sur-Lyon and Mrs Souberant for the sewing of the skirt.
And to everyone who supported this project, directly or indirectly.
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