Mar

Help Wanted: Feathermaster at the Lido in Paris

by Meredith Mullins on March 6, 2014

Orange and turquoise exotic feathers, waiting for a feather master at the Lido in Paris to underscore the concept of living life to the fullest with the right job. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The Lido feathers wait for a Feathermaster.
© Meredith Mullins

Live Life to the Fullest with the Right Job

Paris seems to have more uniquely specialized jobs than most cities—from the Versailles Royal Molecatcher to the auctioneer who lights a candle every time someone offers a last bid at the Chambre des Notaires.

The French have a penchant for flair and living life to the fullest, even in the most functional of jobs.

There are also the jobs of utmost rarity. Consider the urban beekeeper who tends the hives on the roof of the Paris Opera House or the 40 “immortals” of the Académie Française, whose job it is to protect the usage, vocabulary, and grammar of the French language (who wouldn’t want to be an immortal?).

In that vein of rare professions comes the job position of Feathermaster at the Lido—the celebrated cabaret on the Champs Élysées in Paris.

Two showgirls at the Lido, living life to the fullest with the right job. (Photo courtesy of the Lido © PICS)

The Lido Revue: the best feathers in Paris
(Photo Courtesy of The Lido © PICS)

Eye Roll, Please

When I first learned that there was a Feathermaster at the Lido, I admit to rolling my eyes a bit. However, one of many “Oh, I See” moments came when I toured backstage and saw nearly 600 costumes for the current show, most of which had feathers. Of course, there needs to be a feathermaster. Why would there not be?

Blue and white feathers hanging backstage, the job of the feather master living life to the fullest with the right job. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

One of the costume areas backstage at the Lido
© Meredith Mullins

“Since the beginning, in 1946, the Lido has always had unique costumes,” says Hervé Duperret, Directeur Général of the Lido. “The sequins, rhinestones, and feathers are really a signature of the spirit of cabaret,” he adds, especially on the grand headdresses and winglike extensions of the dancers’ outfits.

Pink feathers on female dancer, cared for by the feather master living life to the fullest with the right job. (Photo courtesy of the Lido © PICS)

Fluffiness at its height
(Photo courtesy of the Lido © PICS)

The Feathers Need a Master

“Feathers are both fragile and resilient at the same time,” Duperret explains, with the pride of a parent. “They need to be maintained with care. We have more than 20 varieties of feathers on our costumes. Each has its own special treatment.” Taking care of them is the job of an expert feathermaster (plumassière in French). And the position is open.

The Lido has been without a feathermaster for several months now since the last plumassière left. While there were more than 400 plumassières in the Belle Époque between 1871–1914 (feathers were a way of life then), there are now just a handful of experts. It has been difficult to find a qualified replacement.

A white feather headdress at the Lido in Paris, waiting for a feather master, a job that allows for living life to the fullest (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Splendor in white
© Meredith Mullins

In stellar showbiz tradition, however, the show must go on . . . and the feathers must continue to be nothing short of splendorous. The ten Lido seamstresses (couturières) have risen to the challenge.

With passion and extensive study of what the different feathers need, the couturières dust, brush, steam, wash and dry, reattach, replace, or generally cajole the feathers back to fluffy perfection for the Lido performances each evening. The ostrich, marabou, pheasant, hen, turkey and peacock plumes strut their stuff, as beautifully as ever—the ultimate in cabaret haute couture.

Brown and blue feathers, waiting for a feather master at the Lido in Paris, a job that allows for living life to the fullest. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The art of feather haute couture
© Meredith Mullins

You might think 30-pound headdresses of jewels and feathers on a troupe of lithe and graceful semi-clad dancers would steal the show. But there are a lot of competing elements to the Bonheur (Happiness) extravaganza.

An ice skating rink and a golden temple rise from the depths. A motorized elephant transports an Indian princess. A white horse (real) side steps across the stage in the mist. In one scene, there are so many onstage fountains that you feel the humidity change even in the back row.

Fountains over mannequins at the Lido in Paris, a place where living life to the fullest with the right job is possible. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

A practice simulation of the extraordinary fountain scene
© Meredith Mullins

Precision Onstage and Off

Imagine 23 set and costume changes during the 1.5 hour show. Backstage is organized chaos. Most transitions are completed in minutes. And all are orchestrated from a narrow area behind the stage called “the aircraft carrier”—six floors of “shelves” for props, sets, and costumes.

Backstage at the Lido in Paris, with a variety of costumes, a place that proves concept of living life to the fullest with the right job. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Dressing room ready for the one-minute costume changes
© Meredith Mullins

Precision backstage is as important as presence onstage and customer friendliness for the audience. Every one of the 350 employees is critical to the show’s success. All seem to enjoy the cabaret life.

A costume station backstage at the Lido in Paris, a place where living life to the fullest with the right job is possible. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Help Wanted: Feathermaster
© Meredith Mullins

Birds of a Feather

So, if you know a plumassière or if you are ready for a career change, keep this job opening in mind.

And keep another “Oh, I See” moment in mind whenever you are thinking about living life to the fullest:

We can’t all be one of the 40 “immortals,” but if we’re happy and needed in our work, whatever niche we may fit into, immortality is within reach.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 7 Comments

France (Paris)/On the World Stage

Dec

Memorable Paris Moments of 2013

by Meredith Mullins on December 26, 2013

Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower show life lessons and memorable moments in Paris for the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Celebrating at the Eiffel Tower
© Meredith Mullins

Life Lessons from The Year in Review

The end of the year inspires reflections, accolades, and lists.

The year in review. Favorite films. Important deaths and births. Mayoral gaffs. Best books. Rudest awakenings. Most inspiring quotes. Persons of the year.

I like these lists—for their role in examining what moments had impact on our lives and for reminding us just how much happens in a year.

I invariably say “Wow, did that happen THIS year? It seems like a lifetime ago.”

I look back on 2013 (another adventure-filled year in Paris) and offer ten of my most memorable “Oh, I See” moments.

These selections were all life changing—not in a dramatic way but in a way that still felt deep and long lasting, and made me continue to see the world from a new perspective.

The Silence of Snow

Snow at the Louvre, showing life lessons and memorable moments from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

A transformative snowstorm at the Louvre
© Meredith Mullins

Snow is rare in Paris. When the flurries swirl, magic happens. Usually, the dusting of flakes is gone within hours. This January, however, the whiteness endured.

Like the voice of snow itself, the world was soft, muffled, and muted. Places usually familiar were transformed into graphic elements of white and dark, lines, forms, and textures. A new city was born . . . and it was simply beautiful.

Snow at the Eiffel Tower showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

A rare view of the Eiffel Tower, simplified by snow
© Meredith Mullins

The Kindness of Strangers

Abdel, the owner of a tiny Ile St Louis grocery, was friendly to me even as a stranger. When I first arrived in Paris, he loaned me taxi money, without knowing who I was, and without hesitation.

Grocery owner waves in aisle, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Abdel, the nicest grocery owner in Paris, always has a smile.
© Meredith Mullins

Now, thousands of bonjours later, he is a friend, a neighbor, and one of the nicest people I know. He works from 6 am until midnight and always has a smile.

With Abdel, the memorable moments happen every day. The lesson I want to learn is how to be more like him.

The Rising of the Seine

The Seine is a constant source of memorable moments. It is the life pulse of Paris. It rises. It falls. It churns. It reflects. It breathes.

In February, with one huge exhale, it spilled over its banks and changed landscape into riverscape.

Flooded Seine bank, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

What was once land was now river.
© Meredith Mullins

While there were, sadly, many floods and tsunamis in the world this year that were far more disastrous, I was still riveted by the changing water. I watched each day as it rose and covered more land-based things. Inch by inch.

River barge with multiple planks to shore, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Each day as the river rose, a gangplank extension appeared.
© Meredith Mullins

When you live on an island in the middle of the Seine (as I do) or on a barge near the river, you pay close attention to those inches.

And you begin to ask yourself what is important to save from your home should disaster come. An interesting question to ask, flood or no flood.

The Year of the Pet

Parisians’ love of cats and dogs is legendary. Evidence of this love exists in many forms—from The Cat Café to fluffy pet heads popping out of Gucci handbags on the metro.

dachshund on a bus, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The good life
© Meredith Mullins

Dogs strut into restaurants with their owners (no health laws here). Cats curl up in sunny window sills of apartment after apartment. Puppies provide warmth and companionship to the homeless.

In a city that could get lonely, dogs and cats offer way to connect— memorable moments that bring us closer together and make us smile, even when life gets tough.

Person walking a cat, life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The true meaning of cat walk
© Meredith Mullins

The Vibrance of Spring

It’s official—whether truth or perception: Every spring in Paris is more vibrant than the one before.

Perhaps it’s because the winters grow colder and grayer each year, making the long-awaited change in weather even more spectacular.

Pink flowers in a park, showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The vibrance of spring (without Photoshop)
© Meredith Mullins

The flowers bloom with such force that you can see petals springing open if you pause long enough. The colors are so rich that, even in truthful images, you have to suspect a Photoshop dalliance.

The whole city comes alive to worship the sun, the gardens, and the fine art of café sitting.

And you think to yourself, could next year be even more beautiful?

Yes.

Flowers and trees of Versailles, showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Springtime at the Palace of Versailles
© Meredith Mullins

The Americanization of Paris

What is so appealing about fast food, pizza delivery, vending machines with M&Ms, and Law and Order and CSI dubbed into French on prime time TV?

Those of us who came to France for the elegance of the culture and a deeper level of life appreciation are scared.

American culture is sweeping through Paris at an alarming rate.

Waiter with coke, showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Norbert from Reminet presenting vintage 2013
© Meredith Mullins

Admittedly, I am personally responsible for the pairing of diet coke (vintage 2013) with French dejeuner. (People frowned at first, but now it’s common practice.)

However, I have to draw the line.

Those of us who have lived through what will become Paris’s inevitable future know there is a price to be paid.

Dominos delivery motorcycles, showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The Importance of Elegance

Paris events are an art form all their own. Nuit Blanche, Fête de la Musique, Nuit de Musées, and hundreds of festivals and parades keep the city alive with culture.

My choice for “most memorable” event this year was the White Dinner (Diner en Blanc).

White dinner at the Louvre, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

I wasn’t invited, mind you. I’m not cool enough (yet) to be part of this clandestine club (even though there are 11,000 elite members).

But once the secret location is announced (minutes before the event is to start), it’s not hard to find thousands of people dressed in white carrying candelabras and champagne.

The key word is elegance—white garden party dress, crystal and silver place settings, white linen tablecloths, and the grace to welcome an uninvited guest (like me) with a glass of champagne.

The Celebration of Liberty

Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, showing life lessons and memorable moments in Paris from the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Any time there are fireworks over the Eiffel Tower, it’s a memorable moment.

Combine that with the French Independence Day (Bastille Day), and the fiery explosions shake the very roots of liberté, egalité, fraternité.

Vive la France!

Exhibit of the Year

Salgado, Kahlo/Rivera, Braque, Karsh, Chagall, Boudin?

Who would have thought I would vote for a tower of street art as the best exhibit of the year?

Mirrored green eyes, artistic expression of street art at the Tour 13 (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The Tour 13 was so creative and so provocative of place that I dreamt about it for weeks after seeing it.

Each street artist who was invited to create a part of the nine-story building (whether a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, or a closet) made the space his or her own, saying whatever they wanted in whatever way they wanted.

Great art leaves an impression long after the immediate experience. If my vivid dreams and strong visual memories of these installations are an indication, this was art of the greatest kind.

Running rabbits, artistic expression of street art at the Tour 13 (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The Art of Looking Up

Oh, I see.

Often it’s just the wandering that offers the beauty and adventure. Walks through Paris in the changing light often left me sighing with sheer joy.

For me this year, the most precious moments came from the simple art of looking up.

Sunset reflections in windows, showing life lessons and memorable moments from Paris in the 2013 year in review (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

Here’s to many memorable moments in 2014. Happy New Year from OIC.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 43 Comments

Cultural Encounters/France (Paris)

Nov

The Cat Café: A Purrfect Paris Place to Pause

by Meredith Mullins on November 14, 2013

Boy in blue shirt patting cat: Living a Happier Life at the Cat Cafe in Paris (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

The Cat Café: A place to have a pet of your own for an afternoon (Meet Marguerite)

Living a Happier Life . . . with Furry Friends

If you build it, they will come.

If the “they” are cat lovers—and the “it” is a cozy place to hang out with 12 lovable cats—the truth is they will come . . . in droves.

Meet Le Café des Chats in Paris, the new hottest ticket in town. Yes, Paris is known for trendy gourmet destinations. But, here, in this furs-rate stone-walled restaurant, it’s not so much about the food. (Although the organic salads and homemade quiches and desserts are great.)

Here, it’s about the ambiance—Djenko, Khaleessi, Pattenrond, Rosa, Berlioz, Saha, Lovely, Pepite, Idylle, Oreo, Habby, and Marguerite—and the ability of visitors to feel at home in the company of these friendly felines (and vice versa).

Meredith Mullins 13 Comments

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