Established 1981 · London & the Cotswolds
Bespoke Goose Stylist
An atelier and consultancy for the considered presentation of domestic waterfowl. By appointment, by referral.
I — The Atelier
Founded by Beatrice Wake in 1981 — initially as a private commission, latterly as a registered atelier of the Worshipful Society of Avian Couture — the practice has, for three generations, dressed and presented the geese of considered households across Britain, the Channel Islands, and (under separate arrangement) parts of the lower Rhine.
The atelier maintains a discreet showroom in a Marylebone mews and a working studio in the Cotswolds, where most fittings take place. Clients may bring up to three geese per appointment. Cygnets, ducks, and other water-adjacent fowl are not at this time accepted, by considered choice.
Marci Wake, the present proprietor and the third generation to manage the practice, trained at the École de la Couture Avienne (Toulouse) under the late Mme. Solenne Forestier, regarded as the discipline's foundational figure. She has overseen the atelier since 2014.
— Photographed for Country Life, Atelier Feature · vol. 217
II — Services
Each engagement is bespoke. Prices reflect rarity of materials, hours of fitting, and the temperament of the goose. Tiers are indicative.
N° 01
A full seasonal wardrobe, hand-tailored to the individual goose across a minimum of five fittings. Materials sourced from the houses that supply the Royal Wardrobe (none of whom will confirm). Includes shore-leave, evening, mourning, and country variants.
Tier · Couture · from £14,000 per season
N° 02
Choreographed flock arrivals, processionals, and aisle escorts. Trained for ceremony, opera, weddings, christenings, and one regrettable inauguration. Spacing tolerances within three inches in formation.
Tier · Ceremonial · from £28,000 per event
N° 03
Studio sittings in the manner of Avedon, Leibovitz, or Demarchelier. Suitable for engagement announcements, memorial pamphlets, country-house calendars, and the upper register of avian social profiles. Prints supplied on Hahnemühle Photo Rag.
Tier · Sitting · from £3,200 per session · prints additional
N° 04
An eight-week residential programme at the Cotswolds studio. The goose returns with materially improved posture, situational restraint, and — in most cases — opinions. Boarding, daily fittings, and outdoor enrichment included.
Tier · Residential · from £18,000 per programme
N° 05
Geese installed in full ceremonial roles within the household: gatekeeping, processional, evening rounds, butler-adjacent. Bespoke livery, breed-appropriate flourishes, and a formal letter of appointment included. References available.
Tier · Household · from £42,000 per annum · per goose
N° 06
Oil-on-panel commissions in the manner of seventeenth-century court portraiture. Carved gilded frame, brass plaque, and provenance documentation included. Restoration of inherited goose-portraits also undertaken.
Tier · Commission · £8,500 standard · £24,000 full-length seated
III — Clientele
The following clients have permitted their geese to be photographed for the season catalogue. Names of human household are withheld. Ages are accurate to within twelve months.
IV — Counsel
From the atelier's correspondence file. Permissions secured. Names of human household withheld.
"Beatrice has been with Marci since 2018. She has never looked anything less than transcendent."
"My fourteen geese were styled in coordinating ensembles for my daughter's wedding. Three of them cried."
"Geoffrey received a small ovation at the village fete. Geoffrey is a goose."
"Reginald now refuses to leave the dock without his peacoat. This is somehow Marci's fault, and we are deeply grateful."
V — Press
VI — Enquiry
New clients are accepted by referral only. The atelier observes a mandatory three-month consultation period before any garment is commissioned. Geese must attend in person for all fittings. We do not measure from photographs.
[ correspondence ]
The Atelier of Marci Wake
care of referring counsel
London W1
[ studio ]
The Cotswolds workshop is open by appointment only.
Gravel forecourt suitable for up to six geese.
[ written enquiry ]
atelier@marciwake.com
Replies, where merited, within four weeks.
The atelier respectfully declines: hen parties · cygnets · gift commissions · & corporate events.