This week's report - July 26, 2026

Confessions of an intern who wrote a research paper on Bourgine ;)

After spending days and evenings — but mostly nights — watching, listening, analysing and trying to understand the company and how it works, I was finally able to write my paper.

On paper, “research paper” sounds very serious, especially when the topic is: “How can we modernise the patternmaking system without losing the craftsmanship?”

Translation: how can we stay true to ourselves in the 21st century, surrounded by all those clothing brands...

I thought I’d easily find the answer in two months. SPOILER ALERT: I didn’t... It’s much harder than it looks.

When one of the seamstresses told me, “This isn’t working, and I don’t know why,” and I didn’t know either, I discovered that they have a superpower: intuition and adaptability. Thanks to their years of experience, they can solve problems that a computer simply couldn’t.

Between coffees (far too many) I talked things through with the girls, researched CAD software (Computer-Aided Design, for those in the know), which gave me nightmares, and analysed the competition and the market — help, there are so many of them.

But above all, I realised that a pattern is not just a piece of paper: it is a signature, a memory and a form of passed down knowledge.

Of course, technology can speed up certain steps, streamline the process, save time and lend a helping hand — but it will never replace the skilled hands that understand the purpose behind every stitch.

Today, the intern has become an employee — hehe — and she has another confession to make: she loves the brand she works for, and Norma most of all.

My mission now is to improve our current system without changing its essence, while keeping it unmistakably BOURGINESQUE!

I’m learning to tame the buttonhole torture machine.

But before that, I was asked two questions: which piece do I most enjoy cutting, and which Bourgine design is my favorite?

Now that I spend hours — and months — cutting, I have developed a few favourites. But the one I will never tire of is the iconic Théâtricule. It is a piece filled with history, made from a beautiful fabric, available in different colours and with soft, flowing shapes — the perfect design.

Among all the treasures tucked away at 15 Rue Racine, I’m supposed to choose — and I hate choosing (my moon sign is Libra).

Asking me to pick ONE favourite piece is simply criminal. I started with a top five, then narrowed it down to a top three — which changed fifteen times in two minutes — and eventually realised that choosing just one piece was impossible.

So instead, I’m giving you my favourite look: two recommendations for the price of one!

The striped Fanion trousers, with their flattering cut, are made from Bourgine’s iconic Oshkosh fabric. And the Cœurpiqué — a name that could make anyone fall in love — is a piece that gently hugs your figure.

xoxo Juliette :)

Bourgine
15 rue Racine à Paris
Lundi-Samedi, 11h-19h
Dimanche, 13h-19h