Louise Bescond

Binding books as Haute Couture

• Louise started this job when she was 19
• Her technique follows the French traditional method
• Binding a book means to pass on its contents and secure it for the future

Louise Bescond is orthodox in technique but daring in decoration. For her, binding a book is not just an aesthetic feat, it means valuing its content – protecting it over time and passing on its contents. It is a real art dedicated to memory. The Latin concept "scripta manent" is more valid than ever. The technique takes up the ancient tradition of French binding. But creativity is her signature. And she asks that those who turn to her trust her art, leaving her free to improvise. It is here that Louise’s hand finds real inspiration. A hand that weaves a tailored dress to the book, in harmony with the content. A diary will have a different look to a novel from the 19th century. And that’s why it is such a special art, which takes a lot of time. And why it still fascinates her – and her customers.

Interview

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

Where does your love for books come from?

My mother was a French teacher and when I was a kid, she used to give me illustrated books. I started to really notice and appreciate the quality of the drawings and the book – as an object in its own right. That’s when I learned to know what a well-made and well-printed book is.

How much does the content mean to you?

If it’s a book I don’t know, I always try to learn and study what's inside. The choice of binding depends on the time and the type of text. A 17th-century novel will have a different look from a 20th-century novel.

How do you express innovation and tradition in your work?

I follow the age-old traditions of French binding, technically. However, I let myself go more creatively on the decoration and ornamentation, where I am inspired by the decorative arts – from textiles to ceramics, from paintings to mosaics.

What does well made mean to you?

It means that the mechanics of the book works well: you must be able to open and browse well without any problem, it must stand alone. Only in this way will it be passed down over time well, protected in form and content. The structure must hold well for centuries.

Louise Bescond is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2008

Works

©Hugo Julliot & Louise Bescond

©Hugo Julliot & Louise Bescond

©Hugo Julliot & Louise Bescond

©Hugo Julliot & Louise Bescond

©Hugo Julliot & Louise Bescond

Where