…in Paris. And after her 10Q’s there is a bonus section explaining exactly what Haute Couture Embroidery is. Enjoy Olga’s 10Q’s here:
Name: Olga Alice aka Olga Møller
City: Paris & Copenhagen
Occupation: Haute Couture Embroiderer
What do you do for recreation?
I love cooking! I still haven't mastered the art of relaxing, in the sofa and a movie kind of way, but I can spend hours in the kitchen perfecting a dish or learning a new one. I also love hanging out with friends, going on walks, or to a cafe, having dinner at a restaurant, or in Paris sitting by the Canal Saint Martin.
If you were to do something other than what you do for a living today, what would that be?
I've always loved decoration stucco, or in Danish, stuk. Not like plastering walls, but like an artisan plasterer. Creating floral ornaments or motifs of fruit and restoring stucco has always been fascinating to me. Decorum is a constant in my life.
What was the last gift you got for yourself?
I went up Aiguille du midi (almost 4 km tall!) to see Mont Blanc and I got myself a pin from the giftshop. I was in awe of the whole experience, crying a bit on the way up in the cable car, as I'm scared of heights and then again when I saw Mont Blanc. This has inspired the embroidery I'm working on at the moment. Uh and of course I got a ton of beads and sequins before leaving Paris!
Photo: Aiguille du midi - Mont Blanc - Natural Resort
What was the last gift somebody gave you?
I was in Lyon (silk capital of France) where this wonderful elderly gentleman, gifted me a handmade silk scarf from his family business. I think we spoke for an hour, he told me the whole process of making the burnout silk and I showed him some of my work. We admired each other's work and appreciated
that were both working to keep these traditional crafts alive.
What is your biggest vice, and how do you deal with it?
I'm an overthinker and I struggle with feeling like I need to do more and do it faster. I think this is mostly because I didn't go the traditional route with my education, but I always try to tell myself that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing and try to use it as motivation!
How do you navigate through difficult situations?
I always try to sit with it for a bit and then I go to friends or family to get their thoughts on it. And if my brain won't let it go, I'll literally bring my hands up to my head, “pull” the thought out and place it somewhere else. Like on a shelf.
Name one of your favourite people in the world and why this person is one of them?
My mom. She is the kindest person I know and I'm lucky to have her in my life. She is also my favorite person to go to a concert with. The last one we went to see was Underworld, which she introduced me to when I was a child. We were all the way up front, dancing the whole time, It's one of my favorite memories.
What do you do to stay/get in shape?
I love walking and I walked everywhere in Paris, my grandma is my role model as she walks for about 5 hours every day. I also started running last year but I have a stupid knee that I'm struggling with atm.
What was your proudest moment and why?
One that stands out was when I got the grant to move to Paris to study! I was at work when I got the news and I started crying a lot, in front of costumers lol. An incredible feeling and such an honor to receive as an artisan.
Which city is cooking you the best meal and where?
That's an impossible question to answer! But there are a handful of restaurants I adore and that could make whatever they wanted to, and I would probably love it. In Paris that would be Le Verre Vole' and Au Deux Amis, in Copenhagen I would say Silberbauers Bistro.
A last thing before you go. Try to explain to people what is Haute Couture Embroidery?
Tambour embroidery is a centuries old craft that originated in 17th-century India, Persia, and China. However, the style of embroidery I’m trained in comes from the French haute couture tradition, the same techniques used by fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, and Schiaparelli when creating their haute couture pieces.
One of the most commonly used techniques is called Lunéville embroidery, which involves a special tool known as a Lunéville hook, it's a small needle mounted in a wooden handle. What makes it unique is that you work from the back of the fabric, using the needle to “catch” each bead, sequin, or embellishment one at a time and stitch it into place.
That means if a piece has 1000 beads, you make 1000 individual stitches, one for each bead. It’s a slow, incredibly detailed process that, for me, becomes meditative. Haute couture embroidery isn’t just decoration, It’s about time, patience, craftsmanship and our past and future history.
Follow Olga Alice here for more Haute Couture Embroidery