Flower maker

Also called a parurier floral in French, the flower maker makes artificial flowers through a meticulous series of technical steps. After the fabrics are dyed and processed, the flower maker uses a die cutter to cut out the petals to be shaped. They are softened with a damp blotter, then worked into the desired shape and volume using a hot metal ball soaked in wax. The florist uses special pliers for the finishing steps, referred to as boulé retouché, frisotté (frizzy), and plissé (pleated). Assembly is also done by hand, on a brass stem.

The petals are arranged one by one around the central stamen. The glue dries for several hours before the final finishing touches: leaves are arranged around the flower and the brass stem is coated with tissue paper or gutta percha (a thick, colourless sub-stance used for outlining). Flower makers work mainly with fabrics, but they can also use other materials, such as feathers, horsehair, or paper.

There are only two major Maisons d’art specialised in this discipline still active in France today: Légeron (owned by Lemarié since 2019) and Lemarié.