The Prix des Artisanes Highlights Craftsmanship by French Women
Whether as fashion designers, watchmakers, winemakers, glassblowers or floral decorators, the nominees for the Prix des Artisanes showcase the finest in French craftsmanship. This is an initiative launched by ELLE France, ELLE à Table and ELLE Décoration, sponsored by the LVMH Group and, for the first time, under the patronage of the French Ministry of Culture, to highlight the excellence of women working in the arts and crafts. The prize is awarded in five different categories: Le Prix des métiers de la Mode (Fashion), Le Prix des métiers de la Joaillerie et de l’Horlogerie (Jewellery and Watchmaking), Le Prix des métiers de la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Français (Preservation of French Heritage), Le Prix des métiers de la Vigne et du Vin (Winemakers), and Le Prix des métiers du Design et des Arts de la table (Design and Tableware).
The prize-winners will benefit from professional guidance, mentorship from Artisans d’Avenir and the Institut pour les Savoir-Faire français, as well as unique media exposure. Out of the hundreds of entries received, five stood out. Paper artist and designer Aline Houdé-Diebolt, trained in the technique of paper cutting in China, won the Design and Tableware category. Pattern-maker and designer Diana Martinez, who is highly sought-after by major fashion houses such as Loewe, Mugler, Courrèges and Nina Ricci, was awarded the prize in the Fashion category. Having made a name for herself last June with the exhibition ‘Parure Animale’, held at Lou Woolworth’s Gallery, Chloé Valorso saw her skills as an artisan bronze sculptor compensated with the prize in the Jewellery and Watchmaking category. The jury was also won over by Cécile Giorza, who has mastered the art of producing wine and balsamic vinegar and received the prize in the Winemaking category, and by Elise Blouet-Ménard, who won the Preservation of French Heritage category for her research and development of exceptional leathers.
At the awards ceremony, we met Antoine Arnault, Valérie Salomon, Véronique Philipponnat, Danièle Gerkens, Victoria Dauberville, Mathieu Forget, Eric Zion Jaoui, and Pauline Déroulède.
Photo: Astrid Staes and Tomy Do
