He refers to Christian Lacroix as his godchild...Lagerfeld is "Karl" to him. François Lesage is something of a granddaddy in the world of Parisian Haut Couture. The 80 year old is responsible for the embroidery of the big fashion designers, a position he has held for 60 years. His ideas are transferred to cloth by some 50 embroiderers who work for him in a small studio in Paris Montmartre. Seven years ago he sold his company to Chanel. But he works independently for all the big names in Paris. Lesage is one of the last in his trade, and he is convinced that if the last big suppliers go bust, Parisian Haut Couture will also die.