Le Tanneur x Valentine H. Despointes

L'art du savoir

Le Tanneur x Valentine Huyghues Despointes

In addition to her exquisite creations,Valentine Huyghues Despointes captivates us with her ability to strike the "perfect balance" between inspiring family savoir-faire and boundless creativity. Using scraps of leather, she shapes lush jungles, colourful animals and stylised silhouettes. We should also mention the delicate marquetry and the eucalyptus flowers in leather created for this new instalment of L'Art du Savoir. As a tribute to craftsmanship and sustainable innovation, her work will be on display this autumn in the windows of twenty Le Tanneur boutiques across France. Encounter with this Parisian artist and craftswoman who transforms leather scraps into works of art.

Le Tanneur x Valentine Huyghues Despointes

How did you get the idea of working with leather to make sculptures and other small objects?

My father is a leather upholsterer who makes interiors for classic cars. I grew up in his workshop. I started creating various things with him at a very young age. In particular, he made my first handbags. I've always created very different objects with him. Today, I work for my clients, but I also design pieces for the workshop, mainly works of art and sculptures. And everything is made of leather.

The pieces are sculpted, covered in leather, or I use different skins for their texture, rigidity or softness, to create trompe-l'œil effects. I use this technique on fruit and vegetables in particular.

In addition to your family savoir-faire, what has been your career path up to now?

I studied at Studio Berçot, to work in fashion, and then at Ateliers Grégoire, where I learned to work with hides to make leather art. On the other hand marquetry is a technique that you can't learn in a school. There are no leather marquetry courses. That's why, when I first wanted to do it, I had to create my own technique.

I wanted to create a backgammon set, so I experimented with different thicknesses, glues and leather. I developed a method that I went on to teach to many people, particularly through workshops and tutorials. For example, the one organised for 13 September at Le Tanneur's workshop (book your appointment right here).

I like the idea of creating techniques that you experiment with but don't always know how to achieve the desired result. However, they eventually become skills that you can reuse regularly. I've worked with a lot of fashion houses on a wide variety of projects: showroom decoration, catwalk pieces and installations. It's always great to be able to explore different subjects with all the techniques we use in the workshop. And Le Tanneur is a highly respected French fashion house, so it's always a pleasure to be able to work with companies like that.

What did the collaboration with Le Tanneur involve?

We created eucalyptus patterns that we designed together. All the leathers used are ends of collections in the company's archives, awaiting new lives. I mainly work with end-of-collection pieces. We had access to a lovely range of colours, and it was a real collaborative effort. It's always gratifying to work with a French fashion house that's part of our history. It's important and a genuine mark of recognition.

Can you tell us more about what happens in your workshop?

There are two of us: Mélanie and me. We've been working together for five years. We complement each other very well, and it's great to work with someone like Mélanie. In our workshop in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, we create unique pieces and works of art for major fashion houses, for exhibitions and also for private clients. Everything is made to measure.

On the other hand, marquetry is a technique that you can't learn in a school. There are no leather marquetry courses. WhenI first started, I had to create my own technique! I wanted to make a backgammon set. I experimented a lot with different thicknesses, glues,leathers... and I developed a method that I went on to teach via workshops andtutorials. That's also part of my job. Creating techniques, experimenting anddeveloping new skills.

I also chose to work with Le Tanneur because it was an artistic project. Today, I no longer make matching sets as Iused to in the past for hotels or more classic leather goods projects, whichare very well produced by other workshops. Today, our workshop specialises in marquetry, three-dimensional coverings and leather sculpture. That's the reason why they come to us.