ÉMILIE MOUTARD-MARTIN

FEATHER ARTIST

BACKGROUND

Trained in psychology, Émilie Moutard-martin pursued her passion in feather marquetry following a dissertation on the psyche of artisans who specialise in handcrafted artistic skills. She began her feather journey in millinery, and eventually fell for the charms of watchmaking and fashion. “It was during an exhibition that I found small samples of feathers, and fell in love. It was a true revelation. I didn’t want to just use feather as a garnishment, but as the true star,” she says.

FEATHER MARQUETRY

Feathers, in their natural form, are used to decorate all manner of canvases from cabaret outfits to jewellery and watches. Feather marquetry remains an esoteric craft, mastered by only a few dozen artisans in France. MoutardMartin appropriates only natural feathers, and prefers the simpler, unassuming feathers of pigeons and dormice. “Feathers react to light,” she explains. “The way the light hits the feathers creates an iridescent effect; it’s not actually the pigment, but a dialogue, a game with light.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH PIAGET

The Altiplano Feather Marquetry timepiece (above) marks Moutard-martin’s third collaboration with the maison of Piaget. “Compared to the fashion houses, Piaget really allows us artisans to put our name to our work. It’s really a partnership, and it’s a rare chance for artisans like us,” she says. Upon the dial, MoutardMartin has combined the iridescent properties of peacock and duck feathers to create a repetitive motif that has an almost three-dimensional quality. In order to give some further texture to the existing collage, she overlays rooster feathers with silver foil to highlight the form of the feather. This entire process takes her about one week to complete.