About
Trained at the Lycée Octave Feuillet in Paris, master featherworker Julien Vermeulen holds a BTS in fashion design and a license in fine art and art science. Julien built his technical skills working for prestigious Parisian atelier Lemarié, where he received expert mentoring. He set up Maison Vermeulen in 2015 and has since collaborated with prestigious fashion houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Dior, Givenchy, Cartier, Lanvin, Schiapparelli and Dolce & Gabbana.
From the Loire Valley, Julien runs one of only four independent featherworking ateliers in France. Curious by nature, Julien innovates traditional featherworking techniques to create imaginative wall pieces, sculptures and installations from feathers, as well as haute couture commissions. In 2018 Julien won the Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l’Intelligence de la Main.
Julien has been working with Fondation Bettencourt Schueller for the last five years to set up a French production line, sourcing feathers from local bird breeders. This was one of his motivations to move his atelier to Coutures, where he has space to incorporate a laboratory and is closer to bird breeders. Julien has helped get old tools recreated and even invented new ones made by French artisans who use recycled wood leftover from his first atelier in Paris.
Julien was paired with Matéo Laurent for the first edition of Homo Faber Fellowship, they were one of the 21 selected master artisan and fellow duos taking part in the Michelangelo Foundation’s new professional integration programme which facilitates transmission from one generation to the next. Julien chose to participate as it gave him the financial possibilities to train an aspiring featherworker and the unique opportunity to design a joint object based on a different set of specifications from the commissions he usually receives.
