All this lovely little world is grouped together in our design office, in the heart of the Cholet countryside. This is one of the historic cradles of the shoe industry in France, one of the last bastions of creation, which keeps craftsmanship alive.
In our workshop, we have some real gems. The unique know-how of these people gives life to our models, here is their story.
For me, shoes are, above all, a family affair! I wanted to be a shoemaker.
It is this experience that allows me today to make prototypes and to make improvements. I modify, simplify, or change the materials if necessary, the goal is to make it feasible.
I've been in charge of stock and material quality for 16 years, but I already have 30 years in the shop behind me. Everything that makes up our shoes passes through my hands, laces, zippers, stiffeners, ... and especially the leather.
Each skin is unique, which is why I make sure that there are no defects, that the colours are identical, that the thickness is correct, and above all that the "hand" is correct. What is a "hand"? A gesture that you learn over time.
As the shoemakers are retiring one after the other, a training course has been set up to ensure that the trade continues.
So I discovered this job when I visited this company, and it was a revelation! By presenting her know-how, my colleague convinced me to take part in this adventure.
I needed to change my life, so I switched from plants to leather.
When I was 16 years old, everything was cut by hand or with a press. The automation of cutting has made our job much easier, but don't think that the machine does everything!
It will never take into account the condition of a hide or its defects. It will not determine whether a piece should be cut in the blank, the breech or the collar, because in leather, nothing is lost! I may use my knife less now to cut the twenty or so pieces needed to make a pair, but my expertise has never changed.
I joined the workshop very recently, but I have been a multi-skilled assembler for 38 years. I started when I was 16, I was put in front of a machine in a line and I learned by observing my neighbour's actions over and over again.
My ideology is to always do better! As the last link in the chain, I give shape to the shoe. It's like a jigsaw puzzle : upper, counter, toe cap and sole are assembled into a shape and my role is to make sure it fits.
This is where the pieces imagined by the design team become real. The design office translates the creative ideas into technical terms before passing them on to the workshop to bring them to life.
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