Valérie Tanfin

Featherworker

©Karina Aganiyazova

©Sebastien Le Clezio

©Valerie Tanfin

©Diane Photographie

Magic feathers

Valérie brings the feather into a modern dimension
She worked for the Moulin Rouge and Maison Lemarié
She gives regular featherwork courses and workshops

Valérie Tanfin is a master featherworker who draws from her experience working in haute couture and performing arts. The juxtaposition of these two worlds allowed her to acquire a unique and broad savoir-faire. From the lightness and delicacy of a feather, to its movement and volume, Valérie’s work is a constant quest for pure refinement. Light holds a particular place in her creations, she likes to play with it to reveal the nuances in each feather. Whether for interior decoration projects, adornment accessories or works of art, Valérie’s feathers unfold gracefully and highlight the poetry of this natural material. Besides her fascination for nature, she is inspired by many artists such as Frida Kahlo, Pierre Soulages and Anish Kapoor.

Interview

©Diane Photographie

©Diane Photographie

When were you first drawn to this craft?: It was at the last workshop I did during my studies at the Moulin Rouge, that I knew I wanted to make it my profession. I had the opportunity to meet the team of Maison Février which has been working to decorate the dancers for a 100 years.
Did you learn your craft from a master?: Whether it was during my apprenticeship or later in my role at the Maison Février, I learned my craft from experienced masters. Each of them were specialised in a particular technique and a master in their field.
Do you master any specific techniques?: I master the different techniques of featherwork. The haute couture techniques produce an extremely fine and refined rendering, which from a distance can make you think of painting or embroidery, and the techniques used in the music-hall world aim to give an extremely voluminous rendering.
What do people not know about your work?: People sometimes find it hard to imagine that the longest part of making a piece is the preparation of the material. It has to be sorted, measured, cut. Each feather is then worked one by one. Many steps are involved before reaching the end result.

Valérie Tanfin is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2011 and she started teaching in 2019