At around 18 years old I did a trial at my father’s workshop. Commercially it interested me right away and over the years it became a passion artistically too. My father passed the craft on to me, but it took me almost 15 years to achieve his level of skill.

It's a laboratory, we test and experiment all the time. We may have 30 years of experience or the title of “maître d'art”, but at the end of the day we have to stay humble and work very hard; the answer is that simple. We also develop new ideas by collaborating with other artisans.

For my two girls, I believe in letting them find their own path and if one day they decide to join me full-time, as I did, then they would be most welcome. But it has to come from them. You cannot impose a craft, it only works if they want to do it.

I have had a few apprentices over the years and now I have one who has a real passion for the craft, maybe she will take over one day. The company has been passed down through family, but I am more in favour of handing it over to someone because they are passionate.