Morgane Sézalory is the founder of French fashion brand Sézane, which she self-financed and grew. … [+]
Late July is a busy time in Paris. It’s the start of his summer vacation in August when the town buzzes, rather than the hustle and bustle of fashion week and other festivities. There’s an unusual tension in the atmosphere of Devil May Care in Paris, but not so much that it strays too far from the norm.
I’m sitting in Morgan Cesarory’s office. French fashion brand founder Cézanne, like many other Parisians at the moment, is late for our interview because she has unresolved issues before her own summer plans begin. She hosts the annual summer party and sees off her two little daughters on vacation.
In her office, it’s easy to understand what drives the founder of France’s first online fashion brand. Stylish yet intimate, comfortable yet classy, textured yet clean, the space is very similar to the clothes she designed for Cézanne.
Books on various topics are neatly stacked all over, but they are not just for display, it is clear that Cesarory often reads them for inspiration. Next to a book about James Varner, a book about Matisse nudes, a photo-heavy book about Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and a text about African textiles, there’s a book about an exhibition in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Surrealism and magic.
Sélazory started his business on e-Bay and ran it for four years before creating his own business. … [+]
One of France’s most beloved cult brands, Cesarory is known for its contemporary femininity, wearability, desirability and, most importantly, accessibility, so how Cesarory made her It will be interesting to see how Cézanne’s heightened inspiration translates into Cézanne’s whimsical, vintage-inspired designs.
“What I love about life is putting a little bit of magic into everything, because you can see anything. I think that’s my gift,” says Cesarory when asked about these inspirations. . “That’s how I connect higher levels of beauty and art to everyday life: the ability to see magic in everything.”
Cesarory’s education in fashion is largely untraditional. Sure, it’s not formal. She dropped out of school at the age of 16, choosing not to pursue a college education. Instead, she started a business acquiring and selling high-end vintage pieces that she sold through her e-Bay, which eventually evolved into her online shop called Les Composantes.
“I learned a lot about fashion by selling beautiful vintage things. It was the premier school of design because you have to see how things are going and you have to deal with the intricacies and the small details,” says Cesarory.
Through an innate eye for the unique and artistic, Cesarory chose 100 pieces each month for Les Composantes and released them in what she called a monthly rendezvous that sold out in minutes. It’s a business that has garnered many customers eagerly awaiting her latest selection, as well as the progenitor of her Sézane, which she launched in 2013. Today, Sézalory leads her team of 400 people spread across Sézane’s headquarters and retail outlets. A definitive roster of the world’s most influential fashion professionals, she’s a coveted spot on the BoF 500.
Cesarory’s design aesthetic blends French cool with vintage vibes through frequently updated collections. … [+]
Les Composantes also helped Cesarory lay the foundation for his business strategy. She has seen firsthand how customer frustration grows as her vintage business booms. This experience taught her that dropping random, unique pieces each month did not meet a woman’s daily needs. However, we have provided far more options to meet the needs of our customers. It’s a commonplace concept today, but when Cesarori started it more than 15 years before her, she pioneered the practice.
“It was very unique at the time. At a time when most brands were only releasing two big collections, I was honest about the season and my monthly needs. She nodded his head and smiled, “That was crazy.”
Cesarory was encouraged by her family, who she describes as humble, to find a way to make things … [+]
Her voice exudes pride in her utility.
“Degurdy,” she says. She goes on to explain: I have two girls and they always say so. It basically means finding ways to make things happen, a skill Cesarory says was encouraged by her family.
“I was raised with a lot of trust, but also with a lot of pragmatism. We did because my sister, brother and I were good in school, but my parents were simple in a good way.
They came from very humble families and lived only on affection as children. I just knew how to make things and how beautiful they were, and didn’t understand all the common sense. Mother wanted us to be happy. Degurdy! To find a way,” she laughs.
In founding Cézanne, Cesarory was the epitome of this French. Self-taught, self-funded, not to mention young, and respecting her parents’ values and her own sensitivities (she says she runs her business by cues and empathy rather than relying solely on numbers). says), she has been able to build a business that hosts countless pop-ups in major cosmopolitan cities around the world from Paris to New York.The latest of these pop-ups opened in San Francisco last week. .
Sézane continues to grow its presence globally through retail expansion (with permanent stores). … [+]
Called Apartments, the store aims to bring the essence of Paris to Cézanne’s retail world by enveloping customers in interior design that brings their dream Parisian apartment to life. Located in the heart of San Francisco on Fillmore Street, the store showcases Cezanne’s world of fall handbags, jewelry, clothing, and even menswear selections (Cezanne’s diffusion line called Octobre Editions), along with local San Francisco businesses and artisans. We combine works selected from For the ultimate left bank and west coast marriage.
Growth begs the question: How big? Where does Cesarory want Cézanne to go? After all, not all fashion companies want to be Chanel. Many people are happy to be on the level of Dries Van Noten.
“I didn’t want anything other than being an independent woman and being happy. To be honest, I think that was my only goal,” she explains. “My way of working is like a very good baker who wants to make the best bread, loves his customers, wants to make a very clean shop, wants to create a place for people, wants to entertain people. In a way, with a smile, and sometimes the kind of baker who presents you with leftover crust.
“And this is how I do it. There is so much respect for common sense, decency, decency, love and care. And I am completely obsessed with doing things each day in a better way than I did yesterday. The degree is there, and that’s the only secret.That’s the way it is, so you don’t really want to grow and grow, you grow on your own.You just grow.”
The conversation shifts to her children, ages 6 and 8, who are leaving on vacation in a few days. “I miss them,” laments Cesarory. “So tonight I’ll be at home with them. But first I have to design. Then my girl, then the party. In one night? Bien Shur. She’s Degurdi.”