Pewter (France) (AFP)
Armed with a pistol, Francis Hussenet fills rows of copper molds of arms, legs and heads with vinyl, a liquid material flavored with vanilla, to give a sweet scent to Petitcollin dolls, made in Etain (Meuse) since 1912 .
The molds are then heated in the oven at 200 ° for 9 minutes with a turntable, according to the principle of rotational molding, then cooled for 20 seconds in water.
"Everything is done by hand, piece by piece. Petitcollin is the last doll factory in France" and in 2007 received the label "Living heritage company", explains Stéphanie Thévenin, development manager at the cultural and tourist center of the country d'Etain, who manages the brand's entertainment and boutique.
"We make little girls dream and we are at the service of Santa Claus", smiles, unmolding the elements using pliers, Francis Hussenet, 60 years old including 42 years dedicated to dolls, infants and bathers, tops 6 to 60 cm.
In the warehouse with old machines and molds, five employees, all versatile, are busy, moving from one workshop to another. Some tasks such as sewing clothes and scraping the roughness with a brush are assigned to five people working at home.
"In the 1970s, the factory employed up to a thousand people. In all of Tain's families, at least one person worked at Petitcollin," recalls Ms. Thévenin, emphasizing the heritage dimension of the company.
Behind a machine, Béatrice Caillard sews brown nylon hair on very pink skulls, before inserting their eyes, taking care not to make them squint.
"It requires a lot of dexterity and the dolls must be perfect. At the slightest defect, we do not put them on sale," explains the 47-year-old employee.
- Green range -
The factory, destroyed twice during the two world wars, experienced devastating fires and competition from Asian toys. It was bought in 1995 by the wooden toy manufacturer Vilac, based in Moirans-en-Montagne (Jura).
Each year, 15,000 infants and bathers leave the tin workshops, to which are added 20,000 copies, including collection dolls, designed by subcontractors.
About 30% of the production is sold for export, the rest in toy stores in France, the shop adjoining the cultural center and by correspondence.
Each year, an "exclusive" collection doll is produced in 100 copies, using the old blowing technique.
This year, it's Jean-Michel: 60 cm tall, thick raven black hair and blue eyes, he's dressed in a chic black suit and a burgundy bow tie. Presented during the 10th edition of the festival dedicated to the brand, in November, it met with great success and the stock shortage is near.
"Who hasn't dreamed of dressing up dolls all day long?" Smiles Sabrina Noirjean, greedily clothe dolls with soft stomachs, from the Ecolo Doll range.
Launched in 2009, this range offers ecological baby dolls, made of phthalate-free vinyl, with a wardrobe made from organic cotton.
"One has the impression of not growing up," adds the 35-year-old seamstress, who is also responsible for making the prototypes of the clothes.
Dresses, pants, vests, tunics and other hats, all made on site, must be "resistant, easy to put on, pretty and attractive to the eye", she summarizes.
To stand out and fight against competition, Petitcollin relies on "its reputation, the quality of its high-end dolls and made in France", according to Ms. Thévenin.
The prices of infants, dolls and bathers vary from 40 to 120 euros.
In 2015, the brand entered into a partnership with a doll designer, Sylvia Natterer, to breathe "glamor and dreams" into "new ranges (giving off) an image of French luxury sought after by lovers of beautiful dolls".
A museum, installed in the cultural center, traces the history of the brand since its very first bather in 1912, detailing the many patents and innovations related to Petitcollin.
© 2019 AFP