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On September 9, Marguerite Villedey received from the hands of Ms. Marie-Claude Varaillas, senator of Dordogne, the “Elles M l’artisan” trophy in the “Business manager over 3 years” category. This departmental competition aims to promote the place of women in crafts and highlight their personal journeys. It is organized by the Chamber of Trades and Crafts, in partnership with Crédit Agricole Charente Périgord, the delegation for women's rights and equality, the Department of Dordogne and Famosa magazine.
From librarian to corner craftsman, a daring reconversion!
Marguerite Villedey is one of the last horn comb manufacturers in Europe. Previously, she was a librarian for 15 years. Since 2011, with her husband, she has marketed her horn combs worldwide under the brand "Thomas Liorac".
The trophy rewards her risky and successful reconversion, her work as an entrepreneur, the safeguarding and modernization of rare know-how, as well as her ambitious and voluntary ecological approach.
"The craftsman must bring together a lot of qualities, that's why it's fascinating. Of course, you have to love manual work, to be meticulous. I've always loved manual work. But you also have to be creative to draw models, maintain machines, be inventive to make gains in productivity and quality, manage finances and investments with foresight... Craftsmanship requires calling on all the abilities of the human being, not just one alone. It's the opposite of the division of labor, the opposite of bullshit jobs. The trophy I was given represents a curvy woman, but without hands, without eyes, without ears. Not sure she has a brain. To highlight feminine craftsmanship... let's say that I would have preferred that the five senses, so useful to artisans, were valued."
Marguerite Villedey
