In comedy, placers and underwriters will have the beautiful role

Cools et sportifs, tels sont les nouveaux habits du personnel de salle. Leurs concepteurs, Cassandre Lanfranchi et Hugues Champendal, en dévoilent l’esprit et l’étoffe. Par Ivan Garcia

At Eaux-Vives, comedy has changed its dimension. A new era, therefore, and a new style of communication and welcome. In this dynamic, the choice of dress for the attendants was not a simple matter. Cassandre Lanfranchi, responsible for the reception of the public, was entrusted with the task of designing a different uniform for the team of underwriters of the house. The two co-directors of the institution, Natasha Kormov and Denis Maillefer, left her "carte blanche". The challenge: to reflect the spirit of a place that wants to be inclusive, urban, elegant and youthful.

The underside of a suit

"we had to put our new identity into reality, match it with the building," explains Cassandre Lanfranchi in the artists' home. At the boulevard des philosophies, black jeans, t-shirts and sweatcoats were on hand. At Eaux-Vives, a pink T-shirt and a grey jacket will dress the sherpas of the night. In charge of the room, Hugues Champendal (in the picture above), moreover, features the whole.

But why this "bubble-gum rose", halfway between the fuchsia rose and the pale pink? It corresponds to the graphic charter of comedy. Above all, it makes the underwriters visible. You can't miss them if you need them. This eco-friendly t-shirt, made of bamboo fibre and made by the atelier Sonia Couture in Geneva, is available in both short and long sleeves. Coquettery? In winter, temperatures can be polar to the point of turning the nave into a cooler. In the summer, the risk is that she will burn out.

"it was the cold that imposed the jacket," says Cassandre Lanfranchi. At the beginning of summer, we won't see her. Still, it's worth a look. In grey sweats, it echoes the concrete of the building. This is what the seamstress Laurence Durieux wanted, who spent a month there to design it. Its shape "kimono" suggests lightness and relaxation. She's not buttoned, which gives her an air of youth. We admire the pink finishes of the lining. "one of the management's wishes was to keep this garment cool," explains Cassandre Lanfranchi. The underwriters are instructed to come in sneakers and jeans to complete their outfit. "we are 'banning' them from shoes, in fact, because we wish there was a young spirit," continues our interlocutor.

There is another reason for this simplicity: the staff is likely to change. The suit therefore had to be both unisex and not fully adjusted. "whenever the shape is too adjusted or marked, a custom garment must be made for each person. This is unthinkable when the team members change every year, "explains the manager.

Wink

Flexibility and wink: this is the charm of clothing. The pink "C" embroidered on the grey jacket reminds us that it is the official dress of the comedy. On the back, another inscription shines with malice: "the beautiful role" shines as if to fill our eyes with it. We'll find it on the shirt, but in black.

Sobriety takes time, notes Cassandre Lanfranchi. The construction of the costume began in September 2020; a prototype was tested by Hugues Champendal in January 2021. He points out that there were "no negative remarks" from the underwriters. Better yet, some spectators would even like to buy the outfit. Proof if it's true that this change of clothing has found its audience.

The accessory that packs: the underwriters will wear a bag with the logo of the comedy. It's the perfect place to store your personal belongings, including your entry ticket, so you might as well get the banana.