L'Atelier de Berangere

Bérengère Evain came to Barbizon in 2020 and chose the village of painters for her atelier the way the painters themselves chose it — because the light was right, and because the place has a long memory of people making things by hand. She is the first woman ever to hold the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in eyewear — a distinction she earned in 2019 after 400 hours of work on a single commission, followed by a ceremony at the Élysée. In June 2024, back in Barbizon's own mairie, she received the Ordre National du Mérite, presented by Guillaume Gomez, former chef of the Élysée and himself a MOF. Her atelier at 38 bis operates on a simple principle: nothing is made in advance. Every frame is created on request, from materials she selects — horn, mother-of-pearl, fish leather, wood, salvaged clock parts, offcuts from the great fashion houses — worked by hand using both traditional lunetière machines and her own tools. She trained under Maison Lafont before opening independently, and today works with private clients, partner opticians, and design houses. Appointments required.