HITS OF THE MOMENT
ABOUT
Franco-Portuguese, I have always wanted to return "home" hidden in a corner of my head. Thirty years in Paris, ten years in a LVMH Group company and a strong need for fresh air.
And then, one day in December 2016, I was offered a mobility to Lisbon and it seemed obvious. Change and adventure had finally come knocking at my door.
Once there, everything became clearer, more precise. I discovered new desires and I ended up reconnecting with old passions, especially photography, which has always moved me particularly. The light, the texture, the story hidden behind the cliché, all these elements enveloped me in a soft melody and transported me to new projects.
My models would be unique and would be these various Artisans of Lisbon. The very people who work with fabric, metal or ceramics and who already fascinated me with their sensitivity and talent when I visited my family in Portugal as a child. Those who still bewitch me today with their ancestral know-how and unparalleled creativity.
From my first sessions I had the chance to meet women and men with touching personalities - so simple and so complex at the same time - and with invigorating ingenuity.
It was these encounters that led me to take the plunge into the entrepreneurial adventure and create Les Ateliers Lisboètes. The idea is simple: to share with the whole world the immense know-how of the new generation of Portuguese Craftsmen and to try to make accessible and visible, with a simple click, what inspires me so much from them.
MANIFESTO
I was 6 years old. From this period I have very few memories, but there is one that marked me. I was on holiday in Portugal and my aunt was making a wicker basket. I guess she noticed the sparkles in my eyes because once the object was finished, she handed it to me with a smile on her face, "here, it's to put away your toys". I then wondered, with my reflection as a child, how a pair of hands could make something so beautiful. That was my introduction to Craftsmanship... Magic.
Les Ateliers Lisboètes aims to introduce you to the new generation of Portuguese Craftsmen who are concerned about the environment, respect for traditions and support for slow design.
Our eclectic and joyful selection is made with love. This one gathers original and alternative creations of Artisans as talented and humble as they are creative and passionate.
Mélanie C., Founder
CONTACT
+351 918 253 022