Boxes and boxes of vintage buttons are stacked in the studio of French artist Monsieur Andre Molco. M. Molco formerly produced buttons for major fashion houses of Paris. He sold his stylish buttons from his boutique on rue Vignon, Bouton d'or. As M. Molco was not in the studio when I photographed the boxes, I didn't want to open the boxes and remove the buttons. Those photos are for another day.
M. Molco's haute couture buttons - including some torch-worked glass ones - are discussed in the book Boutons by Loic Allio. Several French magazines and Japanese publications have featured articles about his ceramic, glass, wooden and metal buttons. Now 88, M. Molco has retired from the trade. However he still produces art, which will be featured in a separate post.
hello,
Those are what exeactly what I am looking for. Vintages buttons ! I am a button seller in Korea. I would like to pay and buy a lots of his buttons. Would you tell me his e-mail or fax-numbers. Or shops which carry those kind of buttons I would like to visit to buy them.
Please please contact me!
Posted by: song kim | 26 April 2007 at 16:17
Makes teh children song more real...button button who has the button!! Thank you for showing us who is!!
Posted by: tongue in cheek | 27 January 2007 at 09:24
these boxes are precious, i wish I had one :)
Posted by: cathy | 25 January 2007 at 17:59
So incredibly beautiful and tempting!
Posted by: JanePoe (aka Deborah) | 25 January 2007 at 02:29
I absolutely know I would lose my mind in that shop....all those fabulous buttons of every imaginable shape, size, type and oooh lala! WOW!
XOXO
Posted by: Lisa(0ceandreamer) | 24 January 2007 at 09:39
Oh my, thank you! They are in quite a different league to my grandmother's jars of buttons, but I think the same aesthetic interests lie behind both collections. My Grandma was just a little limited by her location (rural NZ) and budget!
Thank you!
Posted by: Frida | 24 January 2007 at 09:34
wonderful!
Posted by: sheela | 23 January 2007 at 20:17
What an amazing collection. Thank you for sharing it with us and sorry he was out.
Posted by: Tammy | 23 January 2007 at 19:50
Wow, that is amazing! It's like they go on and on! You are so good at finding the interesting vintage and antique stsuff.
Posted by: The Bold Soul | 23 January 2007 at 14:02
oooohh! You've got me salivating Tara!
Posted by: Hundred and one | 23 January 2007 at 11:15
what a fun collection!!
Posted by: AscenderRisesAbove | 23 January 2007 at 05:01
i.heart.old.buttons... you amaze me with your discoveries. xo
Posted by: diana | 23 January 2007 at 04:31
How beautiful. What a wonderful place!!
Posted by: Rosa | 23 January 2007 at 02:49
oh how i covet vintage buttons.
Posted by: kristen | 23 January 2007 at 02:26
This is a wonderful post - I just want to go back and gaze at these photographs. Thanks.
Posted by: sarah | 22 January 2007 at 23:31
Oh Tara what a plethora of loveliness!
xo
Kristen
Posted by: Kristen R | 22 January 2007 at 22:05
Those are all gorgeous! I think the buttons can make or break an outfit! Apparently, so did M. Molco!
Posted by: Regina Clare Jane | 22 January 2007 at 20:38
How gorgeous. My eyes just kept on getting bigger and bigger as I moved through the pictures.
Posted by: annieelf | 22 January 2007 at 19:48
I am oooing and ahhhhing! I cannot even imagine what it must be like to actually get to go into these fascinating places and see such wonders! I am drooling! I have never thought about couture buttons either! But Of Course!!!!
Posted by: Pam Aries | 22 January 2007 at 15:37
"Button...button...whose got the button?"...as I recall, the object was to not have the button so, if true, Mr Molco would not be good at that game. He does have cool buttons, however. Thanks for sharing. Never have given much thought to high end button making!
Posted by: scott nutter | 22 January 2007 at 15:20