Léna Théodore

L'art du savoir

Le Tanneur x Léna Théodore

In this new chapter of "The Art of Knowledge," Léna Théodore explores with Le Tanneur the subtle connection between leatherwork and the landscapes of her homeland, the Camargue, a major source of inspiration for this collection. Her approach highlights the richness of artisanal techniques and their deep roots in this undoubtedly inspiring region.

Meeting with Léna Théodore

Artist, craftswoman, designer, Léna Théodore lives in Arles, where she spends most of her time drawing and designing new crochet pieces, a technique she is passionate about revitalizing. Her approach? To work with cotton thread to tell stories, connect eras, and travel through time. According to her, Arles is an excellent starting point.

This is where we went to meet her as part of our "Art of Knowledge" collaboration series, highlighting France, its beautiful materials, and its many crafts. She shared some of her little manufacturing secrets with us, particularly those behind the Le Tanneur x Léna Théodore pieces, blending crochet and leather work, specially designed for our windows.

Why did you choose crochet?

It’s a fairly simple technique, requiring little equipment, but it offers an immense range of possibilities. With only a basic knowledge of a few stitches, you can already create complex and infinite things. What I also love is that it’s an ancient domestic craft, which says a lot about the home, about work, and the role of women. It has a bit of a “grandmother” side to it. I think it’s important to shake it up a bit, to make it our own and modernize it. Create new objects.

Why did you choose crochet?

What inspires you most in your work?

I’m fascinated by popular culture and all those objects that tell stories, that testify to something that has been, that make a connection with the past. Beyond the old-fashioned nature of postcards, it’s also a trivial, fairly mundane object that we don’t usually highlight. I enjoy giving it a precious quality, elevating it to the status of a work of art, making it sublime. And then, it’s a fascinating object.

People send each other postcards to exchange; I think that’s amazing, it’s so funny. I often use postcards from the region, from the Camargue and Arles. It’s a place that fascinates me because it’s full of stories, events, culture, and still is today. It’s like a huge pot boiling over with a thousand things. And that’s what I want to show.

Is that why you decided to set up your studio here?

Yes, it’s an incredibly inspiring place. When I arrived here, I had a sort of shock. Arles is a small town located right between three nature parks: the Alpilles, the Camargue, and the La Crau Nature Reserve. From there, an ecosystem developed, a beautiful cohabitation between vegetation, animals, and humans. There is a perfect harmony between these three elements. I lived in Marseille before. On the other side of the Rhône, you never hear about this, nor the traditions that go with it, but here, it’s part of everyday life. There are so many doors to open and things to explore. There’s enough material to create for millennia. I couldn’t do what I do anywhere else.

What’s the starting point for this collaboration?

The starting point for this collaboration is the meeting between leather and my practice. The idea was really to mix leather, crochet, and cotton. To bring together the different know-how. White cotton is the ideal material for that. It’s the iconic material of crochet, and it turns out that leather and cotton work perfectly together.

What did you like about working with these materials?

The fact of working with these noble materials, which are at the origin of our “noble” artisanal practices. Using crochet to create a kind of link between the different leathers, assembling them, creating compositions, was really great. Leatherworking and crochet lace are truly crafts that deserve to be showcased. This is the first time I’ve worked with leather. It’s a really fascinating material. You never have the same leather twice.

It was important for me to highlight the artisanal work of leather, the different tanning methods, the raw, almost animal-like cuts. It reminds us where leather comes from. I think it’s important not to sterilize this material. I needed new tools, to discover new cutting systems, new punching systems.

All of that was necessary to combine these two know-how, these two materials—it was exciting. What touches me is craftsmanship, know-how—it’s part of my work, and I’m passionate about it. I had an immense amount of pleasure with this profusion of different leathers, shades, colors, and textures. I had fun composing with all these materials, then linking them with crochet. I felt really good, and I would love to continue exploring this path.