Two years and the realization of several hundreds of stuffed animals were enough for Édouard Bernard to become an essential figure in the crochet world. With his almond-shaped eyes and his 865,000 subscribers on TikTok, the 17-year-old from Dauphiné feeds his subscribers daily with mini-videos where he presents his new creations.
The young man renamed Edoucrochet is inspired by his everyday life to create stuffed animals with his hook and wool balls. “I am inspired from the movies that I watch. For example, I just made the Scream plush,” explains Édouard. It could also be the seasons (spring, autumn …), animals. Right now, I like the pumpkinbee, or my travels and of course, suggestions from my community.”
Edoucrochet’s unpredicted breakthrough on social networks has changed his life. The young man was a novice at crochet, but he had always been a fan of manual activities. He was given a crochet kit by his grandmother at Christmas, which will help him get started in this craft that has become an instant fashion hit among young people. He recalls being passionate about it right away. My grandmother taught me how knit tightly and I ordered a book that had balls the same night. Because I was in confinement at the time, I learned most of the information about knitting through tutorials on the Internet.
“I was afraid about criticism.”
Edouard will be able to establish a little reputation with a little persistence and the help of social networks, where he posts his first creations. “I was afraid of being criticised at first so I kept my face hidden. But from the moment I revealed myself, people saw that I was a young boy, and it immediately took off,” says Édouard Bernard. People want to buy his stuffed animals because they are so seductive.
“Edoucrochet”, which will be the next step, will be completed a few months later. “I didn’t like myself anymore in highschool, where I was dropping out from my professional baccalaureate as a salesperson. He says that he left school in 2022 to start my own business. His online store was launched at 16 years of age. I also established a partnership with Penguin, Phildar, and Penguin to teach people how to make stuffed animal like me. Today, I receive a monthly salary.
At the same time, Édouard continues to modernize his practice thanks to the velvet wool he uses, the plastic buttons for the eyes of his stuffed animals… He is inspired by American designers and continues to expand his palette. He will not stop buying handbags, accessories for the home, tops and books for his fans, as well as tops and shoes for women. The man who has managed to ignore the mockery says, “From a piece wire you can create something useful and practical.”