At the Montpellier Christmas market (Hérault), it’s impossible to miss Florent Messus. This Montpellier resident wears astonishing bow ties around his neck, much more extravagant than those usually found in stores. And for good reason, it is he who makes them. He even opened an online store,
Monpaps.com, to sell his creations (28 euros per butterfly). And until Christmas, dandies can discover them in one of the chalets on the Charles-de-Gaulle esplanade.
There are all colors, with lots of patterns. “I work in the restaurant business, and I wear the butterfly,” explains Florent Messus. And since I never found any to my taste in the store, a little fancy, a little funny, I started to design them myself. And restaurant patrons, all the time, complimented me on my bow ties, and asked me where I got them. So, I created a website to sell them. And it worked! “
Fabrics gleaned from all over the world
For five years, Florent Messus, former owner of a haberdashery and passionate about sewing, has created heaps of collections, with fabrics that he gleans during his travels. “All over the world,” he smiles. When I am abroad, I don’t visit museums, I visit fabric stores! The quality remains the same, it is cotton that I use. But with each trip, this Montpellier resident discovers new motifs, which he takes on board to create new series. “This one is from Rome… This one is from Seville. From Barcelona… ”, lists the designer, showing the impressive collection of butterflies that he has installed on his Christmas market stall.
But the creations of Florent Messus are limited. “I only make eight of each, and then it’s over,” he says. It is truly unique. It is thus almost impossible, in the evening, to meet someone who wears the same one. According to this entrepreneur, in recent years, the butterfly has made a remarkable comeback, to the detriment of the tie. “Mentalities have changed,” he says. And the accessory is no longer confined to weddings or end of year celebrations, he continues. It is worn in everyday life. “Look, I’m wearing one, I don’t even have a suit. It can be worn with a sweater or with jeans. You can have a very ordinary shirt, straight away, a butterfly, that wakes you up, ”says Florent Messus.
But, he agrees, “it’s still difficult to make a man wear a butterfly. Some still find it a bit clownish, a bit too fancy for their taste. But the women love it, they are amazed at my stand. “