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Feather Craftsmanship: An Aristocracy of Manual Labor

Photo du rédacteur: Bureau Irina BokovaBureau Irina Bokova

Dernière mise à jour : 27 déc. 2024

Material: Feather. Profession: Featherworker.

I have decided to talk about the profession of featherworking as feathers are increasingly found in interiors.

They are used to create artworks and also serve as a finishing material. Feathers offer unlimited transformation possibilities. They can be dyed, bent, and their structure and texture altered. They possess incredible elasticity and withstand the test of time and environmental whims. Masters of this craft borrow techniques and terminology from hairdressers, tailors, and textile workers. Feathers blend beautifully with other materials. Craftsmen create optical illusions, making us forget about the original material. What remains is only a sense of lightness, light refraction, and play of colors.





Let's Turn to the History of This Ancient Profession

In ancient times, a feather was considered an attribute of the gods. For example, in ancient Egypt, an ostrich feather was a symbol of Maat, the goddess of truth, justice, and harmony.



Working with feathers was related to the sacred arts. Feathers were used in rituals. They were made into masks and headgear. Well-preserved feathers are found in Egyptian burials from the 17th-16th centuries BC.


In the 13th-14th centuries, feathers adorned the headgear of priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Gradually, feathers became part of secular costumes and headgear of fashionistas. The use of feathers became so significant that in the 15th century in France, a guild of craftsmen was established, and the profession's name, featherworker, was coined.

By the end of the 18th century, feathers were at the height of fashion. Social beauties ordered incredibly tall and complex headgear. Sometimes they had to ride in carriages on their knees, and at balls, they had to bend over so their hairstyles would not catch fire from the candle flames.





In the early 20th century, Paris had 300 renowned houses of featherworkers. In the 1950s, the fashion for feathers passed. New fabrics and a new lifestyle emerged. Wardrobes became more minimalist.


However, in the early 2000s, feathers returned to fashion. The new generation of featherworkers reinterpreted the codes and boundaries of the profession. Now they collaborate with designers, architects, jewelers, and fashion houses.


Featherworking is taught at only one school in the world, located in Paris, which graduates 10 students every two years. In 2021, about 40 people in France possessed this rare craft. A hundred years ago, there were 76,000…






Prominent Figures in Their Profession

I want to introduce you to two bright representatives of this profession: Nelly Sonié and Julien Vermeulen. These artists represent, in my view, the feminine and masculine approaches to the profession. Nelly is characterized by delicacy, femininity, a bright palette, and a brilliant knowledge of techniques and anatomy. Julien is at the beginning of his creative journey, despite recognition. His style is more restrained and monochromatic. Both have mastered fashion and then expanded the boundaries of their creativity, turning to art and design.



What unites couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier, directors Joe Wright and Luc Besson, jewelers Harry Winston and Piaget, and designer Olivier Gagnere?


Nelly Saunier

What do couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier, directors Joe Wright and Luc Besson, jewelers Harry Winston and Piaget, and designer Olivier Gagnere have in common?



They have all collaborated with Nelly Saunier.


Nelly Saunier chose the rare profession of featherworking at the age of 14, despite the craft not only being unfashionable but also fading into oblivion. Nelly has dedicated her entire life to mastering the secrets of feathers. Her work is distinguished by femininity, a fine understanding of the material, and a mastery in creating optical illusions. Nelly values in feathers their unique natural colors, their flexibility, resilience, and boundless transformative possibilities.


Thanks to Nelly, the craft of featherworking has honorably entered the 21st century. She has nurtured a new generation of masters and elevated a forgotten profession to the status of art. Recently, interior designers increasingly seek out Nelly. Her monumental sculptures adorn private residences and public spaces. She is the sole representative of her profession to be honored with the title of Master of Arts.






Julien Vermeulen

Julien Vermeulen excels in the techniques of dyeing and transforming feathers. In his hands, this material assumes the most unexpected forms and effects. Working with fashion houses, Julien skillfully exploits the lightness and airiness of feathers. This material offers an unlimited palette of colors.



In his artistic works and designs, Julien turns to another quality of feathers - their unique ability to reflect light. Here, he prefers black. His paintings are distinguished by monochromatic graphics and skillful play with lines and light. The artist is not afraid of large-scale projects. In 2017, for an exhibition at the Parisian Palais de Tokyo, Julien created a grand wall panel measuring 20 square meters, requiring more than 10,000 feathers.




The photographic materials are borrowed from the personal archives of IB Creatis and from the following sources

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