Meet Michel Heurtault: Master of Art in France as well as umbrella and parasol creator

A piece of fabric or cloth shows an angular deviation when weft yarns are not perpendicular to warp yarns...”
Michel Heurtault isn’t a geometry professor. But he is a high master for creating parasols and umbrellas—an art to which he dedicates himself with such tenacity that the minutest details must pass muster under a magnifying glass: “... Any deviation in the silk received from suppliers ends in a nightmare and renders impossible the making of an umbrella.”

Such is the depth of his rigour and the exquisiteness of his craftsmanship that the French government recognises the self-taught Michel as a Master of Art, meaning it acknowledges his work as being that of an “orphan art”. “In other words, since there is no school, I am in charge of transmitting the technique of umbrella making to an official student,” says the bachelor.

An circular-shaped umbrella for ladies with a canopy in black silk with fuchsia pink designs and black silk braids. It has 10 ribs on a nickel stick and a black stained wooden handle - Creation Maison Heurtault

Long before he came to be known as the maker of bespoke parasols and umbrellas, Michel was a child enamoured by umbrellas. “At three, I was fascinated. By the time I turned eight, I had mastered the umbrella mechanism,” recalls the 50-year-old Paris resident. “I was able to create a special shape for one of the two umbrellas I had worked on.”

A 60s umbrella model for ladies. It has a long and thin handle in manually-sewed black leather, a black metal frame with 8 ribs and a canopy in black silk pongé, lined with cream and white embroidered tulle, used for fine lingerie. Creation Maison Heurtault

With no formal training, Michel learnt the ropes as an apprentice at a costume company, analysing costumes with a zeal for details. Then, along with an associate, he founded a company that specialised in historical costumes. “We made the most beautiful costumes for special events. I made my very first parasol in 1988 for the opera of my home town, Toulon, on the south coast of France,” says Michel.

A dome of possibilities

In 2008, Michel shuttered the costume company to open Parasolerie Heurtault following “increasing enquiries for unique umbrellas and parasols”. In the last eight years, Michel, his associate and an apprentice have created hundreds of bespoke parasols and restored numerous more to their vintage glory. Working with their hands, the small team relies on the finest textiles—softest silks, luxurious taffetas, fine cottons and delicate laces—and tools and implements, some of which are nearly two centuries old and were purchased from old thrift shops. “I use the best possible components and the most beautiful textiles. As far as possible, I use ancient ribs, for modern steel is of inferior quality,” he says. The stress on quality is equally manifest in other design features: The wooden sticks for the parasolerie’s creations come from Maison Fayet, the oldest, family-owned cane-making company in France; the metallic spare parts are procured from France or Italy; and the haute-couture textiles receive either a waterproof or UV treatment from specialists.

Parasol from circa 1915 with a canopy pagoda shape in white silk faille with lace mounted on the edge and butterfly motives. Its knob is made of a large golden ring and tall thin stick in beechwood. Restoration Maison Heurtault

The emphasis on quality and the painstaking effort means each creation is unique. “My products are sold only in our showroom for we produce in small quantities,” says Michel, who works seven days a week, doing “almost everything” from creating, to placing orders with suppliers, welcoming customers at the store, as well as looking after his colleague and the apprentice. The parasolerie’s creations command a neat sum: parasols start at 320 Euros, women’s umbrellas at 350 Euros and men’s umbrellas at 490 Euros. “A bespoke piece can be sold for upto 2,000 Euros depending on the quality of the wood, the handle, the fabrics used and so on,” shares Michel.

Vintage mould

A pagoda-shaped parasol with 10 rolled-up ribs and fancy tips. It has a canopy in blue silk taffeta and a wide edge in shantung showing Art Nouveau designs—red and blue on a white background. It has a vintage knob in Bakelite, thin stick in lacqueered black wood. Creation Maison Heurtault in 2014

For all the passion poured into creating new umbrellas and parasols, the team dedicates far more time in restoring old ones. He says restoration can take anywhere from a day to a week. “It is exciting to restore an antique piece... to put it in the same state it was in, at the time it was created, while ensuring that no one notices that it has been restored. And taking all measures so that it can last for years,” says Michel, who owns three umbrellas, including one dating to the 1960s.

“My philosophy is to take time to create pieces that will last for years, which can be passed on to younger generations as a legacy.”