If someone were to ask you what a plumassier does for a living, unless you're somehow involved in haute couture or are a hard-core follower of fashion, chances are you would draw a blank. This is why I was excited to read in today's WWD a short piece mentioning Maison Lemarié, one of the oldest remaining plumassiers in Paris and probably in the world. The focus of the article is the costume designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Elena Glurdjidze, a senior principal dancer with the English National Ballet but I would rather draw your attention to this increasingly rare craft.
A plumassier is the craftsman who painstakingly treats, dyes and applies the fragile feathers which frequently embellish haute couture garments and various stage costumes. While a plumassier is considered an "artisan", their confections are really more akin to artistry. It is also unfortunately a skill that is at risk of disappearing. To give you an idea of just how rare the craft is today, in 1919 there were 425 plumassiers plying their trade in Paris, in 1939 there were 88, in 1980 there were 5 and today there are only 3 including Maison Lemarié.
Founded in 1875, Maison Lemarié is one of the oldest and probably one of the better known plumassiers thanks to their long standing relationship with Chanel. Incidentally, Chanel purchased a controlling interest in Maison Lemarié in 1997 via it's Paraffection subsidiary, an initiative designed to help preserve the various crafts essential to the haute couture trade.
If you're interested in learning more about these traditional crafts, I highly recommend L'oeil et la main: Les artisans de la haute couture by Amandine Maziers and Johanna de Tessieres (Editions du collectionneur, 2005). The book is in French but is rich in beautiful photographs illustrating the various crafts.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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