I invite you to discover in detail this young brand made in France and committed. She offers us a small series of pretty pieces carefully designed 90% in France.
I went to meet Marjorie, its founder, to find out more. She answers all my questions in an interview that I transcribe below.
Personally, I was convinced by this beautiful ethical and responsible fashion creation.
Brand made in france and eco-responsible
Here is, in complete transparency, how Marjorie works to best meet the expectations of women who want to dress consciously.
Can you tell us about the birth of the brand and why its name “Mariannette”?
I have been working as a buyer for a little over ten years now. I am specialized in the sourcing of raw materials, I have been able to meet a large number of craftsmen and manufacturers over the past few years, throughout France. This is what made me want to start a business too.
Very involved in my daily consumption, this project had to be meaningful and consistent with my way of life.
The objective with Mariannette is to manufacture quality clothing, respectful of people and the environment, which support the French economy as much as possible.
How would you describe the world of Mariannette and your sources of inspiration for developing it?
The concept is based on revisited classic pieces with impeccable cuts, quality materials, all made locally from recycled materials that have had a first life.
Who is the brand for? Which women will relate to it in terms of style and personality?
Can you tell us about the journey of a Mariannette product, from its design to its manufacture?
It all starts with a questionnaire. We ask our customers to participate in the creation of our clothes. Their answers allow us to identify their needs, their desires, their expectations.
When we know what our customers want, we develop the product with our brand identity.
The creation part takes place between Bordeaux and Toulouse: sketches, technical drawings, sourcing of materials…
Then, we call on partner factories who will be responsible for manufacturing this prototype. It is adjusted, tested…. We produce a few pieces for the photo shoot and then the pre-order phase can be launched. Patience is rewarded, reservations are always offered at lower prices than if they were in stock. Once production is ready, the product is available on limited stock.
You say you want to do better than labels and better than Made in France. Why do your commitments go beyond that?
A textile product can claim the designation “made in France” if at least 45% of the added value was produced on national territory, with the last substantial transformation taking place in France. If the simple addition of buttons is therefore not enough to claim the name made in France, this relatively flexible legal definition still opens the way to many abuses.
For example: A shirt made in France from cotton grown in India, spun in Pakistan and dyed in China can legitimately claim on its label the mention “made in France”. However, we can logically consider that such a garment is neither French nor eco-responsible. The mention “made in France” therefore does not in itself guarantee the limitation of the ecological footprint of a textile product.
Customers of responsible fashion brands expect the product to be durable over time, with solid seams, buttons that hold, materials that are cleaner than synthetic, etc. What allows you to ensure this high level of quality and durability for your Mariannette clothing offer?
For materials and accessories, we buy top-of-the-range products from local manufacturers that we know, and the same goes for clothing…it’s the best guarantee of quality.
What is the brand’s specialty or emblematic pieces? Does your offer target specific types of clothing or the women’s wardrobe as a whole?
Our specialty is knitwear but we also offer tops and T-shirts.
Our emblematic piece is the Lise vest, 100% recycled and 100% made in France , who says better?
wool vest made in france
What are, in a few words, the strengths of Mariannette, which we do not find in others?
A complete control of the production chain to guarantee beautiful quality pieces, truly eco-responsible.
How do you envisage the evolution of Mariannette in the years to come if everything continues as you want?
Develop new recycled materials, reduce our carbon footprint by finding even closer manufacturers (we are already very good 😉) and offer a wider range of products to our customers.
