It all began with a hat. When Anne Marder bought her first hunting hat, it was decorated with a handful of feathers. “But they were dyed and didn’t have much in common with their natural origins,” recalls the 24-year-old Frenchwoman. After all, feathers, with their diverse forms and colors, represent the wonderful variety of nature. When Anne decided that it would be a shame to just throw them away, the idea for Passion Plume was born out of her passion for feathers, which is a direct translation of the name of her studio. A few years ago, the agricultural engineer was thoroughly critical of hunting “because I didn’t know any better,” she admits. Since then, Anne has gotten her hunting license and is now as keen about wingshooting as she is for big game hunting. “It gives me joy to watch dogs on point, and it is a thrill of a different kind on driven game hunts, for example, when you hear the boars coming toward you”. It is just as important for her to enjoy the companionship of friends and family on the hunt. Not only does she organize at least four social hunts each year on a shared lease in Yonne in the northwest part of Burgundy, but she also hunts all over France in her capacity as a founding member of the hunting club Les Dianes Epicuriennes.
Feathered Fancies
»Each feather is already a work of art. I just elevate it to another dimension.«
Passionate and open to gastronomic pleasures, the club provides its members with the possibility of learning the different types of hunting found in France.
The diversity of hunting is mirrored in the creations of Passion Plume: Here you might find the golden feathers of Reeve’s pheasant, the so-called faisan vénéré; the shiny green feathers of the Eurasian teal; or the plush plumage of the Hungarian partridge. Meanwhile, the huntress no longer limits herself to the fabrication of brooches and earrings and has been testing her skill with other creations. For example, she now makes entire game scenes out of feathers. Anne Marder gets her supply of feathers – sometimes even from protected species like the Mandarin duck and the peacock – from friends, hunting companions and customers who want a special memento made for them. This year, in recognition of her artistic use of feathers, Anne Marder was awarded the Prix Spécial Gaston Phoebus for young entrepreneurs in the hunting business. This offers her even more encouragement to develop new ideas. Anne: “But that happens almost automatically when I am out hunting. If I don’t bag any game, then I at least bring home a good idea or two.”
Find more information on Facebook or email her directly at annemarder@hotmail.fr.
