The Lady with the Unicorn's Workshop Sale

The Lady with the Unicorn's Workshop Sale: Solidarity Costumes and Textiles in Chartres

Every second Friday of the month, from 10:30 AM to 5 PM, the professional integration association La Dame à la Licorne opens the doors of its workshop sale at 37 mail Jean-de-Dunois, in the Madeleine district of Chartres. Here, there are no furniture or everyday objects: people come to find historical costumes, fabrics, fashion accessories, and sewing items at affordable prices, in the spirit of solidarity sales.

La Dame à la Licorne: 30 Years of Integration Through Textiles

The association La Dame à la Licorne was founded over thirty years ago in Chartres. Its primary mission is the professional integration of people in difficulty through learning textile trades: sewing, embroidery, costume management, and laundry care. Each year, the association welcomes 16 to 18 employees on integration contracts and supports about thirty people in their socio-professional reintegration journey. The solidarity shop La Licorne Solidaire, adjacent to the workshop, is a second-hand space dedicated to textiles.

Costumes from the Middle Ages to the Belle Époque

The Lady with the Unicorn's workshop specializes in the creation and rental of historical costumes covering various periods: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Empire, and Belle Époque. Its integration artisans create custom costumes for shows, medieval festivals, historical reenactments, and cultural events. During the workshop sales, a selection of these creations is offered for sale at solidarity prices: dresses, capes, hats, masks, stage jewelry, bags, and accessories of all kinds.

A Monthly and Seasonal Workshop Sale

The Lady with the Unicorn's workshop sale takes place on the second Friday of each month, from 10:30 AM to 5 PM, between April and December. This monthly schedule allows the association to regularly renew its stock and offer new items to discover at each visit. Regular visitors often return because the offerings evolve with the workshop's creations and the items put up for sale. Personalized advice is provided by the association's team.

A Historic Chartres Neighborhood

The association is located in the Madeleine district, one of Chartres' historic neighborhoods, on the banks of the Eure river. This area, undergoing urban redevelopment, retains old streets and half-timbered houses that recall the city's medieval and artisanal past. The Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a few hundred meters away, making it a pleasant area to visit by combining tourism and solidarity shopping.