A blank slate but in human dimensions.
From luxury houses to fashion schools, retailers to museums, they are the mannequin of choice.
Maison Martin Margiela even designed a collection around them in 1997.
Photo: Courtesy of Stockman
To some extent, the name has even become synonymous with all mannequinsa generic catchall like Kleenex.
The Stockman stencil for Chanel.
The Stockman stencil for Loro Piana.
The spring 1997 Maison Martin Margiela Stockman inspired collection.
The iconic Stockman logo.
Early in the summer, out of the blue, I received an invitation to their headquarters.
Any behind-the-scenes visit is always a privilege.
The Stockman stencil for Chanel.
After all, I first became aware of the busts while spending time in ateliers.
Here was an opportunity to peek into another corner of fashions machine.
The Stockman workshop can be found in Gennevilliers on the outskirts of Paris.
The Stockman stencil for Loro Piana.
It is contained in size and remarkably nondescript in appearance.
The making of the Stockman mannequin.
Louis-Michel Deck, Stockmans general manager since 2018, uses a male bust as his coat stand.
The iconic Stockman logo.
Before the visit begins, he provides some figures about their figures.
They produce roughly 30,000 busts annually depending on the year.
When the results are in, they Stockmanize or adapt.
The making of the Stockman mannequin.
Then theres the 50463, somewhat famous thanks to a cameo in theCruellafilm from 2021.
The current owner, Christophe Israel, lives in Marseille, where there is another factory.
The business remains family-owned with an office and showroom in New York.
The vintage Stockholm moulds showing how proportions have changed over time.
The vintage Stockholm moulds showing how proportions have changed over time.
Not including made-to-measure orders, there are some 200 different molds that correspond to both shape and size.
Precision is the nature of the job.
The mannequins inside the workshop.
The mannequins inside the workshop.
Off to the side, a particularly stout male bust paneled in a kind of embroidered velvet stands out.
It was made according to Pavarottis proportions in 2002.
Some of the specialty mannequins.
There must be myriad other stories amidst these anonymous forms.
Nearby is a station where the papier mache takes place.
Needless to say, those who lay each strip of recycled paper learn how to be ultra precise.
Some of the specialty mannequins.
Every day, you are on alert for all these points.
The scraps are reused, and the packaging is now sustainably-minded, too.
All of this from a workshop that numbers no more than 30.
The Stockman mannequins getting ready to be shipped.
Some of the specialty mannequins.
We are always striving to reinforce the artisanal quality.
The Stockman mannequins getting ready to be shipped.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy Verner
The branding around the neck is now as apparent to me as the necklaces.
With only the most lighthearted intention, perhaps Ill now refer to this as Stockman syndrome.
Inside the workshop.
