Story of a passion, designing buttons and sewing buckles

There are too (little) known crafts! So discover three art crafts where passion dominates, including one dedicated to sewing buttons around a round table discussion hosted by the Chamber of Arts and Crafts of Paris. Let’s go. And look, listen, you won’t believe your ears!

Carousel of Crafts

Initially, Sarah, Eric and I were to exhibit at the Carrousel des Métiers d’Art et de la Création at the Louvre. But in December 2020, due to the health crisis the biennial had been canceled. Except that we were able to express ourselves through digital round tables during the period of the show. So many encounters and passion between visitors and artisans around sculpture and sewing!

So watch it in replay !!! During this exchange, you will discover Sarah Leroy, feather worker, Éric Nadeau, Statuaire, and me, Sandrine Mettetal, button maker. Throughout our discussions, you will discover three rare crafts.

1. Eric, the Moulder-Statuary

First with Eric, who took over the only moulder-statuary workshop in France ten years ago. What is surprising is that Eric, before taking over this workshop and its artisans, was a client of Atelier Lorenzi. He was then a landscape architect for large amusement parks, in France and around the world. And to realize his decorative works such as castles for example, he had to call on the services of Atelier Lorenzi. But the core business of a sculptor is above all to make three-dimensional molds from works of art, old or contemporary. And did you know that the Lorenzi workshop holds the largest heritage of statues molds after the Louvre museum?

2. Sarah, the Feather Master

Then it’s Sarah and her enthusiasm that comes on stage with a voice as soft as the feathers she is working on. Like Eric, Sarah before becoming a craftsman, worked as a makeup artist for Haute Couture. The funny thing is that she often picked up feathers that had fallen from the dresses or headdresses of the models she was putting on makeup. From there came the idea to convert and train in the profession of feather worker because she adored these beautiful aerial feathers that she crossed from fashion shows to fashion shows.

And since then, Sarah has accomplished beautiful creations such as feather ceilings and walls for large hotels, feather inlays for jewelers. She is also passionate about the feather jewelry she makes. But above all, did you know that being a featherweight is above all handling the feathers of the moults of birds (roosters, chickens, guinea fowl, pheasants …)? Because since the Washington convention in 1975, the feather trade has been highly regulated to protect birds. And as Sarah adores them, she explains very well the respect she has with these moulting feathers that she works.

3. Sandrine, the love of couture buttons

Finally, I am talking about the job of button-maker! At the beginning, it is about my passion for the styling, and the sculpture of the garment since I wanted to become a designer and designed all my clothes. Then two years of break in my studies where I had the chance to be a costume designer in London allowed me to realize the first part of my dream. But absorbed by my studies, which I had resumed on the advice of my parents, made me become a marketing director.

Despite everything, this craze for the dress and its garment sculptures of buttons and buckles was the strongest. So I decided to put myself at a positive risk! I gave up everything to realize my dream and passion: to become a button maker! And the backbone of this craft is in two words: the buckle and the sewing button.

But these two mischievous accessories have plenty of stories to tell you. In addition, I transform them into jewelry and fashion accessories when I find vintage nuggets. Besides, do you know what Galalith is, my favorite material? Well to find out, watch the video on these three rare and little-known crafts!

4. Galalith lover

In short, Galalith is a new kind of bioplastic. Because this material is made from milk protein, hence its natural creamy white color. It is a resin with beautiful virtues that we admire. Indeed, Galalith is anti-static, anti-allergic and biodegradable! It is also extremely soft to the touch. That’s why I love it. This is probably also why Galalith, at the beginning of the 20th century, was the number 1 material for jewelers and adorners.

So that’s why BUTTONS PARADISE has a boundless passion for vintage buttons in addition to contemporary buttons. Because it is benevolent to bring back to light sublime sewing buttons from another time and give them a new life. Because it is good to pay attention to our planet by manufacturing just what you need and with the least possible pollution, hence the promotion and love of Galalith!

It is by creating more responsible fashion that we participate in building the world of tomorrow. A world of sewing and clothing that is even more respectful of fine crafts as opposed to fast fashion. An understatement, but it’s good to write it down and claim it, over and over again!