Definition of 'Atelier': A workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer. It comes from Old French astelier workshop.

We see a great deal of 'ateliers' in our town and village markets, selling anything from paintings to jewellery, to clothing and home goods.

Recently an exhibition at the Port Palace Hotel in Monaco featured an array of outstanding ateliers from France displaying high quality creations using traditional skills. These crafts people pamper to the high class bespoke market. These are the perfect gifts or must haves for those who have it all.

To be smitten by such luxuries is dangerous... they come at a very high price.

One of the first objects to grab my attention was by a lady called Anne-Lise Courchay  who creates book covers and notebooks using parchment, which is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin. Anne-Lise describes parchment as being a 'sensual material'. No two pieces of her creations can ever be the same and reflects that unique and bespoke desire to have something no-one else can ever have. Her USP (Unique Selling Point) for me, was the fact your book cover is a life long asset. Replacement notepads, also in parchment of course, have magnetic strips that  connect to the spine of the hard cover. Fantastic! The perfect gift for lovers of literature.

 

Mary Beyer designs gloves. These are not just ordinary gloves, they are sublime! The gloves that Mary creates are made-to-measure and pure couture for the chicest and trendiest women and men too. These gloves make you look forward to winter and I never thought I would ever say that! From the moment you own a pair of Mary Beyer gloves, you will never feel completely dressed again without a pair, they will make you stand out from the rest. It puts a whole new dimension to the saying 'It fits me like a glove'. And what's more, should you ever lose a glove... fear not... you guessed it, your details can reproduce an exact copy without having to invest in a new pair. I want a pair and I want it now!

 

 

And then there was Patrick Blanchard. A lover of wood, he sculpts the most incredible unusual pieces. One of his latest creations will certainly light up the darkest of rooms. Made completely of wood, the planks move and the light dims in sequence. Should you ask 'why?' I would have to reply 'Why not?'.

 

 

Michel Heurtault has an incredible passion for umbrellas which started at the tender age of 6. His creations are the haute couture of umbrellas. Oh let it rain! In 2005 he was commissioned by Yves San Laurent to create one of his masterpieces. Michel not only creates umbrellas but he restores them and has a vast collection of around 1000 pieces from the 18th, 19th and 20th century.

These are just a few of my favourite things...  more exceptional creators of fine work can be found on Les Grands Ateliers de France. It has become apparent that if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it.