Zoë Montagu

Tissage d'art

Weaver

©GaelFlmkr

©Zoë Montagu

The elegance of horsehair

Zoë creates jewellery and textiles out of horsehair
She applies basketweaving techniques to the infinitely small
Collaborations are a major part of her work

Zoë Montagu’s creations celebrate the amazing fragility of horsehair. Through ancestral techniques that she learned during her year in Chile, she weaves the rigid fibre with an extremely fine gesture. Her work revolves around jewellery and ornaments, where she applies a circular weaving technique. In parallel, she further explores the qualities of horsehair on her loom, designing surprising textiles intended for different fields, such as upholstery, interior decoration, or haute couture. Zoë draws on her artistic background and her Métiers d'Art diploma in textile design to express her unique vision. As a horsewoman herself, her contact with this material since childhood is undoubtedly the secret behind her oh-so-poetic approach.

Interview

©Zoë Montagu

©Zoë Montagu

Did you learn your craft from a master?: Yes, the techniques I use were passed on to me by several women in Chile. They were happy to pass on their know-how to someone younger. As I was already weaving, they could teach me advanced techniques, that I apply to jewellery making.
How do you manage your time between jewellery making and textile design?: They are indeed two different jobs. I work on my jewels daily, as my clientele is much wider. Textile is like a breath of fresh air to me. It is a very creative process that involves mostly collaborations. The projects last several months.
What techniques do you particularly like to work with?: I work a lot around motif in my textiles. I play with the rhythm, the repetition of the pattern. I have recently been experimenting with the insertion of material into horsehair such as silver thread, or small porcelain fragments.
What do you enjoy most about your craft?: The contact with the material, which is very reassuring, very soothing. When you weave, you don't do anything else. I also truly enjoy the beautiful human contact, the collaborations, this whole network.

Zoë Montagu is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2012