Very few haute couture houses have maintained archives of their significant designs, and many of these once-prominent houses no longer exist. The only remnants of their legacy often lie in the patterns they released. Furthermore, pattern publishers typically did not retain copies, records, or contracts of the patterns they issued.

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Our museum's mission is critical: to safeguard and digitize these invaluable paper patterns before the delicate tissue paper and accompanying instructions deteriorate, ensuring their preservation as they risk fading from our collective memory.

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Unlike other museums that hold paper pattern archives, ours specializes in haute couture patterns from the golden age of couture, a period when fashion significantly influenced the social and cultural domain. The stories of democratization within fashion, pivotal during this era, are often overlooked in other collections, due to their vast collections. These collections also tend to be less accessible, typically not providing complete digitization of both the front and back of pattern envelopes. The pattern schematics in these archives are often derived from rough illustrations on the backs of envelopes, and they lack accuracy and do not include detailed instructions.

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Addressing these gaps, we are committed to a rigorous process, investing in and utilizing specialized equipment and undertaking the intense labor required to digitize entire patterns in full. This effort ensures every detail is preserved, making our collection a complete repository and an active, educational resource dedicated to the meticulous documentation of haute couture’s rich history.