Stories embroidered since 2009Macon&Lesquoy

Macon and Lesquoy

Designers of embroidered accessories

Born ofa meeting in Paris, Marie Macon and Anne-Laure Lesquoy founded Macon&Lesquoy in 2009, an elegant company that revisits embroidery with humour, finesse and high standards. Based in Granville and Paris, for over fifteen years they have cultivated a world where accessories become stories, combining traditional know-how, creative freedom and attachment to the region.

A meeting

The story begins with a meeting between two students who have been working for some of the big names, together and sometimes on their own. It was at this point that they made a decisive discovery: that of an embroiderer in Pakistan, whose work immediately fascinated them. Their initial desire was simple: to promote beautiful, modern embroidery that had been diverted from its original military image, and to design pieces that were both useful and fun. They then turned to motifs designed to repair, customise and divert, before developing these creations into brooches, which over time became genuine embroidered jewellery.

Their approach quickly found an audience. Boutiques such as Merci, Colette and Le Bon Marché took an interest in their first pieces, paving the way for an adventure that would continue to grow. But beyond the object itself, Macon & Lesquoy is built around a powerful idea: each brooch tells a story, an anecdote, an emotion, a wink, a cause. For Marie Macon, this philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: ” Stories embroidered since 2009 “.

The birth of a unique house

Their way of working is based on a deliberate balance. Marie designs, Anne-Laure conceptualises, and together they create collections around carefully chosen themes. They soon decided to structure their designs around two collections a year, each conceived as a field of exploration. Travel, encounters, everyday details and more fanciful themes fuel their imaginations.

This complementarity is one of the duo’s strengths: one brings a more artistic sensibility, the other a more technical approach. The result is brooches that are refined, witty and instantly recognisable. Their work is not just about aesthetics: it also conveys an intention, a message, sometimes even a statement.

A four-handed creation

Over the years, Macon&Lesquoy has created embroidered accessories and unique embroideries, some of which have made a lasting impression, both for their humour and their symbolic significance. The little syringe brooch, born of a wink at doping in sport, has found an unexpected echo with nurses, who see it as a way of making injections less dramatic. Other models, such as the Golden Palm, lightly designed for the Cannes Film Festival, have also gone beyond their original purpose to become objects that diving clubs have appropriated.

Granville was an obvious choice. Anne-Laure Lesquoy chose to set up here when the brand was created, to centralise her stock and benefit from a more spacious setting. Today, the head office, employees and stocks are based in Granville, while Paris remains a base for professional meetings.

This choice of location is not insignificant. Granville nurtures their universe through its proximity to the sea, but also through its unique identity.

Marie Macon refers in particular to maritime poetry, to poets who speak of the sea, and to the Granville carnival, which for her has become a high point, marked not just by the festivities, but by a real collective voice.

This popular, expressive and committed dimension echoes the spirit of the house.

The region offers a rhythm and balance that nourish their creation.

Between Paris, Granville and their international collaborations, they are building a house that is open, attentive and curious about the world.

The house in motion

Today, the challenges facing Macon&Lesquoy are as much about structuring the company as they are about the agility required in a changing economic climate. The two founders have supported the growth of their company, strengthened the internal organisation and continue to bring to life a demanding project, without losing the essence of its identity. They demand freedom of tone and creation, but also strong partnerships over the long term, transmission and know-how.

Their work is based on constant dialogue with the craftspeople who make their embroidery in Pakistan, Portugal and Rwanda. Each collaboration is thought through over time, with the aim of enriching both the technique and the object. This high standard of craftsmanship, combined with genuine loyalty in human relations, contributes to the uniqueness of the company.

They tell their stories...

If Macon&Lesquoy had to be summed up in one sentence, they would choose “a touch of humour and love in a world at attention”. It’s a phrase that sums up their approach to embroidery: as an art of detail, discrepancy and meaning, capable of transforming an outfit, making people smile, conveying a message or telling a story.

Portrait by Céline LEBAUDY, ambassador for Granville Terre et Mer

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