We had so much fun designing our exclusively unique Spring | Summer 21 Hair Accessories Collections. We thought you’d love to learn about the process of how our French Handmade Collections are designed and crafted. So we want to share with you the exciting journey from design through production of our handcrafted hair ornaments. Here is how hair accessories are made...
THE DESIGN PROCESS
For our exciting and exclusive Spring|Summer 2021 Collections we first brainstormed the best colours and tones that we believed would compliment your upcoming warmer weather outfit choices.
We wanted to create a variety of colourways so that there was something for everyone with patterned textures to fit the originality of our brand, and to expand beyond our popular staple colourways. We wanted to provide the same highest quality hair accessories, with durable materials and robust mechanisms but with an extra pop of colour.
Next, we created mood-boards to develop our imaginative ideas. We absolutely loved this part, we got to be creative as a team of visionary women.
We collected a variety of colours which compliment each-other perfectly, taking inspiration from everyday visual elements such as sunsets and floral landscapes. We then sent our mood-boards to our lovely, trusted French manufacturer at his family-run factory in the heart of France.
THE PREPARATION PROCESS
The French team then take our design inspiration and magnificently bring them to life.
Firstly, by creating a large sheet of the strong and flexible natural compound, Cellulose Acetate. This is an extremely sustainable production process because every part of this sheet can then be used in the creation of our smaller hair accessories or melted down to be reused with absolutely no wastage. Cellulose Acetate is also a biodegradable material. Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog outlining in detail all of our efforts to be as sustainable as we possibly can.
THE CRAFTING PROCESS
The material is carved using a 3D machine and is then delicately cut by hand with lasers. The hair accessories are then shaped by being submerged into 80-degree water to soften the material ready for moulding. After being held in a mould, the hair accessories are submerged into cold water to secure the perfect shape.
The hair accessories then undergo multiple polishing stages using a selection of polishing beads in tumblers. First rubber beads are used, followed by waxed wooden beads to create exceptionally smooth edges - this process can take up to a week to create the perfect polished finish before being soaked in acetone to create the pearlescent shine.
Patterns are delicately created by deeply dying this material with multiple colours to create a unique blend.
For a more detailed explanation of the ten steps involved in the crafting process, click here.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Each individual hair accessory is then hand-polished using chamois leather and buffed to create the perfect smooth long-lasting shine.
Our recognisable Tegen branding is then added to each accessory by a specialist.
Unbeatably strong steel mechanisms are then individually secured to our hair accessories.
Our order then undergoes a final quality check and is manually packed into boxes ready to be shipped in bulk to our Brighton-based offices ready for unboxing.
THE BEST BIT: UNBOXING
We eagerly await and track our French delivery until the day it arrives. Our order arrives to us beautifully wrapped in French newspaper and plastic bags made form recycled bottles which we later recycle. We are always so excited to see our unique designs get brought to life from our designing and planning to the hard work of our incredible team in France.
You can wear your French Handmade hair accessories with pride knowing that it has been thoughtfully designed, carefully handcrafted, thoroughly polished and secured with unbeatable robust mechanism from start to finish.
Our accessories really are a luxurious art form. We love carefully packaging your hair accessories into their brushed-cotton dust bags ready for you to take good care of them knowing the special journey they have been on to get to you.
Shop our French Handmade Collection here and don’t forget to filter by colour to browse our exclusively designed Spring | Summer 21 Collections.
