If  i Madeleine est la nouvelle ambassadrice de la Maison, c’est grâce aux esprits créatifs et aux mains qui ont conçu cette ligne, mais aussi – et surtout – grâce au cuir utilisé. Le plus beau que l’on puisse trouver : du taurillon foulonné, un cuir rare, préparé et monté de manière artisanale, que nos stylistes ont bien pris soin de mettre en valeur dans le design de la ligne. Le grand hobo étant la parfaite illustration de leur démarche, puisque chaque côté est constitué d’une seule et même grande pièce de cuir. Un plaisir pour celles et ceux qui lui ont donné vie en atelier.

Here, we speak with Victor, the master leather craftsman in our Mans atelier, who worked on Madeleine.

The notion of savoir-faire. It has always been present, and I truly enjoy preserving it. Doing things with one’s hands, with the least machines possible. Using a paring knife, a foot knife, cutting by hand. This artisanal aspect appeals to me, but it is slowly being lost. I saw the artisans having difficulty being able to live off of their craft. I even asked myself the question a few years ago: am I doing the right thing by continuing in this profession? Thankfully, there are projects like the Madeleine line carried out by Le Tanneur, for which assembly must be done piece by piece. This allows us to preserve our craftsmanship and continue to practice it.

The dying of the edges is rather technical. To obtain a good result, it requires a great deal of preparation, a good undercoat as well as a qualitative dye, and it’s very complex. I also like the final assembly. Preparing the bag with the lining, placing the lining in the bag and completing the final stitches. By far the most technical part. If it’s not gone well, the bag is completely ruined. A true challenge. When you see the bag being put together, taking shape, becoming beautiful, it’s truly a source of pride.