At the height of summer, on the edge of the Vanoise Park in Savoie, the village of Bessans is alive with preparations for its 15th August festival. Every year, the people of Bessans perpetuate tradition by dressing up in the clothes worn by their ancestors.

I wore this costume too, from the age of thirteen until I was twenty. Why did you wear it?

With my camera, during the fittings, I decided to share my thoughts on the meaning of this custom with the other women in the community. In the privacy of their homes, far from the tourist clichés, a mosaic of views emerged on the reasons why we still practise this tradition today.