History
"Mauliébris chooses to produce its products entirely by hand in the Oyonnax valley, the historic French cradle of luxury hair accessories expertise."
Oyonnax archives mention the trade of "comb maker" as early as 1667, but it wasn't until the 19th century that local manufacturing expertise really took off. In those days, local people used natural materials such as horn, ivory, and boxwood to handcraft the combs worn by the women of the upper middle classes and nobility.
By 1880, Oyonnax had become the world capital of luxury hair accessories, exporting its creations all over the world. Tools were modernized, as were materials. Horn and wood were gradually replaced by cotton resin, which today we call acetate.
Alphonse Mucha, 1896
The early 20th century was marked by the emergence of Art Nouveau, and the creation of combs that were veritable objets d'art by jewelers such as Lalique and Vever. These years of artistic flourishing encouraged the development of famous Oyonnaxian brands, such as Auguste Bonaz and Clément Joyard. The combs of the period were finely sculpted, decorated, and set with stones. Some were exhibited at world fairs, and can still be seen at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Even today, Oyonnax remains the home of luxury hair accessory manufacturing in France, with know-how and hand-making techniques inherited from this ancestral history. The Mauliébris workshops are the bearers of this heritage, and have been contributing to its preservation for over 40 years.
