We met Clémence et Pauline, two young creators whose eponym brand, which has just just celebrated its first anniversary, has been our firm favorite. Discover below our interview with this beautiful promising brand!
Kodd Magazine: How and when did Clémence et Pauline arise?
Clémence et Pauline: Our brand arose more than a year ago now. We decided to launch in January, 2016, a little bit on a whim. The idea hardly emerged that we were already throwing ourselves into the realization of a showroom on June 4th, 2016. At the end of our fashion school we had a craving for creation and we walked into the lion’s den without hesitation. It was the beginning of the adventure!
KM: How did you meet and why this name?
C&P: We met on the benches of the Esmod fashion school in 2013. Pauline had already been there for a year and Clémence had just entered the second year. It was a real heart-stopper as well on the personal as the artistic side. Being used to work together during the course, it is quite naturally that the idea of creating a brand came to us two years later.
The name of our brand speaks for itself, we wanted something that highlights our origins, classic, soft and feminine. We said to ourselves that we could hardly do more French and classic than Clémence and Pauline…
KM: What is the DNA, the concept of your brand?
C&P: Through our collections we wish to translate our desires: classic but timeless products, made of beautiful materials and with an irreproachable finish. It is difficult nowadays to buy at an affordable price a beautiful, sober and strong garment, while being fashionable. It is the challenge we decided to take up.
Clémence who has chosen the Haute Couture option during her last year of study, to work in womenswear was self-evident. As for Pauline after a specialization in kidswear she did not imagine to switch to another sector than this one. We thus chose to create collections in partnership, as well at the level of the shape, the materials or even the colors. What we appreciate, it’s to be able to match your sister, your cousin, your mom or your friends!
KM: Why do you characterize yourself as a top of the range ready-to-wear brand?
C&P: At the launch of our brand we were well aware of the number of young creators already present on the market. Facing current habits of overconsumption, we did not want to join in the relocation to the detriment of the quality. N We wanted to meet the need of women who decide to buy less, to invest in sustainable items.
In front of the difficulty of finding beautiful classic products, we wished to create lines with irreproachable finishes, made with a French know-how in a Parisian workshop. As for our materials we avoid as much as possible all the synthetic materials and exclusively call on European materials suppliers.
Above all else we advocate quality, comfort and practicality without ever forgetting elegance naturally.
KM: Where do you stand today?
C&P: After having produced 4 collections from A to Z ourself we call on a Parisian workshop for all the manufacturing of products since March 2017.
Naturally, we always work hand in hand concerning the elaboration of collections and the realization of patterns as well as prototypes.
Furthermore, for every new collection we organize a showroom presentation and we have since mid-July an office/showroom in Paris which allows us to welcome customers by appointment to display them the collections.
In our early days as we made everything ourselves we presented only 6 different products each and had no stock. We can now present 10 to 15 items each and have a small stock which is renewed according to the orders.
But at present our real battle is to carve out a small place for ourselves by participating in shows, contests, pop-up stores etc….
KM: After one year of launch which conclusion can you draw of this adventure?
C&P: In reality we have difficulty believing that it’s been one year already! Time flies when you have a company… There are always a thousand things to do and to learn. It is certainly one of the best sides of what’s happening to us, we became real small Swiss army knives.
We work enormously and the brand is ceaselessly in our mind but it is so gratifying to do what we like that we would like to continue as long as possible. In the end we realize today that to create your brand, even with a partner it is necessary to be damned naive. We did not imagine the workload and the difficulties about which we should face, fortunately (and it’s a stroke of luck) our partnership is very solid and complementary!
The only thing left to do is to continue to give ourselves fully and we shall see well what the future holds…
Words registered by Angela Anz
Léna SOUBEYRAN
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