For almost twenty years Ombre Claire has worked in partnership with artisans in Niger and Mali, Tuareg artisans proud of their know-how.

Ombre Claire was born and grew up thanks to them, thanks to this link which unites the stroke of my pen to the small anvils planted in the sand thousands of kilometers away.

A few months ago, I was supposed to go to Niamey, Niger. But a political context meant that the plane tickets for this destination were all canceled.

Yet there is no shortage of desire to return to the desert and Saharan artisans.

The desire also to experiment with materials, to engrave, sculpt, work hand in hand with a craftsman. I then began to work with wax, as I had been able to work with earth, clay, a long time ago. I rediscovered the pleasure of modeling.

At the same time, I discovered the work of Parisian founders, the history of these small workshops hidden at the back of the course. The history of the jewelry designers who were able to work with them, Parisian fashion accessories at the beginning of the 20th century, and in particular the work of Line Vautrin, designer and daughter of a founder in Paris.

I wanted to make my own jewelry, with my hands. This is not easy, they are so small, this work is so meticulous. I did tests, and more tests, without going through drawing, directly by playing with the material. Then I went to meet the founders. It’s so joyful to go cycling along the Seine to meet Parisian artisans!

Today, there is an HERE collection, made in Paris, and a collection THERE , made in the Sahara. These two collections are very different, but they both have this thing in common: the love for know-how and the work of the hand, of the material.