Article from Le Figaro Magazine

For the love of lavender

A former sailor, this jack-of-all-trades has embarked on making spindles filled with fragrant seeds.

From an object of Provençal tradition, he has created an exceptional item.

From the sea to the nose, Philippe Franc's career path is anything but conventional. After years on the decks of ships, then as an engineer in various industries, including civilian nuclear power, this creator developed a passion for lavender. It all began with a welcome gift from a neighbor: a braided spindle filled with these delicately scented seeds, a Provençal tradition. Philippe Franc has recently settled in Pertuis, near Aix-en-Provence.

In 2003, at the age of 41, he went back to school, earning an MBA in marketing. "That lavender wand really spoke to me," he says. He immersed himself in scents and colors. His sense of smell comes from a long line of distillers in Revel. As for his eye, he's an amateur painter with a rich palette. A self-taught craftsman, Philippe Franc began making the wands himself. In Saint-Étienne, he learned about the quality of ribbons, for which the city in the Forez region is the world capital. His creations were so exquisite that he offered them to Parisian luxury hotels. Le Meurice wanted to order 500 pieces. Impossible, as it was too soon. At the Crillon, however, the success was immediate. The manager bought one as a gift, and the boutique decided to offer them to its customers.

"Vintage wines"

After three years of selling at the Cours Mirabeau market in Aix-en-Provence, he set up his workshop and launched his online business. He trained three people. " It's quite an art ," he explains. "Assembling the stems without breaking them, knotting them, braiding the ribbon all around, it requires skill."

The range is expanding: three sizes of spindles, as well as balls and even Fabergé-style eggs. The ribbons are made of velvet and satin. Luxurious metal braiding is also available. Located under an archway in the heart of the village of Lourmarin, the Franc 1884 boutique, opened in 2018, is a real eye-catcher. The shelves shimmer and the scents are intoxicating. " The 2021 harvest has just ended," explains Philippe Franc. "We are now making the new pieces."

Two lavender growers have reserved 20,000 plants for him. " Only vintage varieties," insists this wine enthusiast. In the summer of 2022, he will launch a lavender bottle inspired by the perfume bottles that Fargeon, Marie Antoinette's perfumer, prepared for the queen. From sea spray to fragrance, the former sailor has a keen nose.

Jean-Marc Gonin