One or two words about us ...

Fleur d’Andeol was created in 2005 by Francois Covillard and Robin Molbert. We both fell in love long ago with the arts of lace, embroidery, and textile fabrication, each of which enjoys its own long and fascinating history in Europe and particularly in France. These represent for us the art of the home, not only for their decorative aspect but more essentially because in France certain fabrics, and especially lace and embroidery, were largely created in the home. Until as recently as the early 20th century, many families had a small loom in their house where the husbands wove linen for sheets and hand towels and their wives embellished them with embroidered motifs as well as the family monograms. Endless hours of patient and meticulous work were applied to the embroidery of each bride’s trousseau, which, after its initial use was often carefully folded and stored in the family armoire. It was, true to the word, a labor of love - so much so in fact that often a soon-to-be bride had all but completed her three some-odd years of painstaking embroidery with the exception of the second letter of the monogram, as she eagerly anticipated the identity of her soon-to-be husband.

Although we live in New York on Long Island, after several years of researching and collecting these beautiful things, we decided to establish a second residence in Lyon. Lyon, at one time the capital of Gaul, is probably best known for its textiles, especially its magnificent silks. The textile industry of Lyon dates as far back as the 16th century but reached its apex in the 18th century when the most luxurious silks in the world, known equally for their superb quality as for their beautiful design, were woven in studios of the small hilltop neighborhood of Lyon known as the Croix Rousse. At least one of these original factories still exists today and continues to produce some of the finest silk in the world. However, “Les Ouvrages de Dames” or what in English we would call the hand-work of women, is scant today and hand-made lace for example, once a widespread family tradition, has almost entirely disappeared from creation. It’s been our goal to make known and available examples of these creations at once magnificent and personal, luxurious and practical.

 The items we offer for sale are for the most part one-of-a-kind and made at a time when materials were not only all natural but spun, woven or stitched with the utmost care and attention paid to their fabrication. If for example we offer a pair of identical sheets or pillow shams, it’s most likely that they were embroidered by the same hand. It’s also for this reason that once something is sold, it is unlikely that we can duplicate it. Nonetheless, we love what we do and are perpetually in the process of searching for new pieces to add to our collection. If you are seeking something in particular but don’t find it in our catalog, please don’t hesitate to let us know so that we can keep an eye out for you. We’re working steadily to keep our stock as well as our site updated and bountiful.