1h37 with Louise Damas
Montreuil, on a sunny day. To reach Louise’s house, you have to climb, open an iron door, and let yourself be brushed by tall grasses. For this first meeting, we spent 1 hour and 37 minutes with an inspiring creator. We could have stayed the whole weekend. The young woman created her eponymous brand of handmade jewelry in Paris. And it’s clear that for this entrepreneur, mother of Madeleine and Lison, everything is precious. Starting with her role as a mother. With her, we explored her world and the question itself.
We settle into a living room that has never truly lived up to the name "living space" as much as now. In the back, you can make out cushions on the floor and a reading corner set up for her children. “Before becoming a mother, I already had a strong feminist approach, but since I have two daughters, the topic has become truly overwhelming.”
From the softness of her voice emanates convictions that grow as she transmits and learns: “I listen to a lot of podcasts, I read a lot on the subject. Now, I feel more sadness and anger when facing these injustices. I already talk to my daughters about their strengths, about gender equality… and it’s also very much about the actions of their father: actions speak louder than words.”
As our conversation unfolds, I begin to realize how much words hold meaning and importance for this former Modern Literature student, both in the public sphere and the private one. “For me, it’s very important to name the genitalia using proper terms. Feminism and learning (therefore, respecting) intimacy starts there. I say vulva and penis when I talk to my daughters, without taboo or using euphemisms.”
Attention to detail and daily feminism naturally infiltrate Louise’s life, even in her relationship: “I recently proposed to Mathieu. I’d been joking about it, knowing he wasn’t on board. After several jokes, he finally said yes! I didn’t expect it. We’re getting married this summer. Fun fact: the first surname for our children was chosen by a coin toss. And it landed on mine!”
For these two inseparable birds—“That’s what Mathieu likes to call us”—did becoming parents shake their world? “I don’t feel like motherhood changed anything in me. I was never a stressed woman, and becoming a mother didn’t make me more anxious. Parenthood has been a continuation, the logical next step for both of us.” Better versions of themselves, it seems, is what Louise’s smile and gentleness convey when she talks about her family.
Her family, the one she’s built and the one that raised her: “When I was little, we lived above my parents' restaurant in the heart of the 12th arrondissement of Paris. That restaurant was my home. Our neighborhood, Aligre, was like a village. I used to go down in my pajamas to the professional kitchens, and we had dinner every night with the staff. Tom Tom and Nana comics—that was our life!” Learning about the world through different spheres, with the backdrop of wanting to pass on knowledge, share, and understand oneself: “The love of communication, the need to express things, comes from my mother, and it’s what feeds my relationships, especially with my daughters. I like that my kids are with us when we go out, when we see our friends, that they’re part of every trip.”
As the conversation flows, Louise fills the teacups, and we feel right at home: “Preparing the water, letting the leaves steep, feeling the warmth of the cup in my hands, I love it. I drink tea all the time. It’s as much a pleasure for the taste as it is a ritual.”
The art of instinct
I pick up from where we left off, pausing on the soft seating and the many children’s books. The reading nook for her daughters is an invitation to return to childhood without even stepping into their rooms. “I used to visit children’s bookstores even before I had kids. Bedtime reading is a real pleasure. I’ve always loved Claude Ponti, Nadja, Grégoire Solotareff. Recently, I discovered Anthony Browne and his incredibly poetic picture books.” Spending time, real time, without screens, without multitasking, without distractions—isn’t that important? “When I get home in the evening, I have an hour with my daughters, teeth brushing included. I try to make it quality time, so it’s not frustrating. When I’m a little late, Mathieu stretches out the evening ritual until I arrive.”
Doing things instinctively, without losing sight of meaning, and believing that art and creation are tools to capture all the best sides, that’s what drives Louise. On the coffee table in the living room, I spot a photo book by Saul Leiter. “I really like this American photographer. I feel like the photos taken in the sixties are more beautiful. Probably because people dressed so elegantly, and the settings were so rich.” This sensitivity to images is apparent in the artworks that fill Louise’s home. For each piece, there’s an impulse.
Like a reflection of her love story with Mathieu: a love at first sight and quickly, the desire to start a family: “I got pregnant with Madeleine one year after we met. We moved in together when I was pregnant. We didn’t have time to establish a couple’s routine. Our story developed alongside our journey into parenthood.” How does one take the time to love each other when you have young children? “We’re incredibly lucky: every other weekend, my mother-in-law takes the girls for 24 hours. An evening and a morning together at home—that’s precious.”
As I leave, Louise asks me to send her the details of a children’s book. I leave with the desire to discover the next collection from her eponymous brand: pearls. That’s perfect; you just met one.
Credits
Words: Amandine Grosse
Photo: Emma Burlet for talm
