Meeting with Madame Estoy!

Today I am launching a new section on this blog: MEETINGS with sewing enthusiasts who have dared to start and who now live from their activity.

I discovered the brand Madame Estoy last year, when it launched on social networks. I was immediately seduced by its magnificent leather sandals (entirely made in France and by hand), and impressed by the very professional side of this young brand: beautiful photos, a video which shows the different stages of creation, a clear and daring positioning (tailor-made sandals in a large number of colors)…

Since then, I ordered a pair of leather sandals (it must be said that living in Bali, I only wear that!), and I was literally won over by all the details.
So I wanted to know more and asked to interview Jeanne the designer!

Here's what we thought ;-)

YOUR CAREER

Have you always been creative?

I have always been aware of made-to-measure, with my stylist mom, who made wedding dresses, and my father who makes shoes in size 50! My mom is a great creative. One day she decided to make our sandals herself, and she did this for several years, for the whole family.

I've always sewn, I used to sew my dolls' clothes when I was little... I was really immersed in an ultra-creative family universe...

Have you done any studies in this area?

No, not at all! I did a Bachelor's degree in Management & Development, then the IDEA Master's in Lyon. There, I was able to develop my creativity: we had access to Fab Lab workshops, with dozens of machines, to be able to prototype our projects.

Then I started working in a communication agency in Bordeaux, as an innovation manager. I stayed with them for a year and a half. But I missed the manual side. Whenever I had the chance, I did manual stuff in my office, I put up wallpaper...

One day, I said to myself that I had to follow my intuition, and I spoke to my 2 bosses about my project. To my surprise, they welcomed it very well, and offered to give me 6 months to set up my project while remaining in the company. I felt there was a place in the market for sandals made in France...

Did you have to train before? especially for all the craft part...

I spent 6 months watching videos on the Internet, bootmaking videos on YouTube, then I met a woman who was in the business and who trained me in pattern making, gluing, choice of materials…

At the same time I started creating my own sandals, making prototypes for my family and friends; I made 50 test pairs before the launch of Madame Estoy!

At first, it was a bit complicated to work from home. We lived in a 60m2 apartment in Bordeaux: I had stored my leather skins under our bed, there was a terrible smell of cows when we entered the room!!

How long did it take?

I launched Madame Estoy in February 2018. I worked hard the year before the launch.

Everything was ready when you launched?

No, not at all! I opened my Instagram account when I had not yet finalized my sandal prototype! And when I launched the site, I had only made 2 pairs... I think there's no point in waiting for everything to be perfect: you have to make people want it!

How did you make your website? Did you do it alone?

I made my website with my husband who helped me. We spent all our winter evenings there! We had to code part of the site, because I had a very precise idea of ​​what I wanted...

Do you do everything alone or can you delegate?

No, I do everything by myself! I like the variety of stains, and the fact that I can touch everything...

I cut my leathers, cut them, wash them, hang them with my husband in our garage (before, it was in the middle of the living room)... It's a process that takes me all winter!

I like to make a pair thinking about the person who will wear it. There is a personalized side which is really very nice.

How many pairs have you made?

Last year I managed to make 380 pairs! The Doré and Caramel are very popular, the Minuit and Cactus colors too!

Your COMM

How do you manage your social media communication?

I am on Instagram and Facebook, and I have roughly the same number of followers on both networks. On the other hand, 80% of my clients come from Instagram. I post every other day on Instagram. Facebook is more of a showcase for me.

How did you get known?

I launched a contest on Facebook and Instagram; and I had 1000 participants on the 1st day! It really helped me get noticed on social media.
At the beginning, to familiarize myself with Instagram, I had opened an account where I posted photos of flowers all day long, because my husband works in flowers! Then I created my pro account with the idea of ​​creating a community and discovering my target: sewing and DIY enthusiasts for the most part. These are people who appreciate beautiful details, craftsmanship, and suddenly they find themselves in the values ​​of my brand.

THE FUTURE

What future do you imagine for Madame Estoy?

I don't really want to delegate production or even a part of it; I think customers like to know that I make their sandals from start to finish.
On the other hand, I plan to offer Kits to make your own sandals, and perhaps organize workshops to share my passion.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into design and made in France?

Don't be afraid to try. At worst, we are wrong… And I think it is important to invest a little money at the beginning, to train, acquire good machines etc.

And above all, you must also dare to launch your product before it is finished!

Thank you again Jeanne for this great moment!

To find Madame Estoy:

• The shop Madame Estoy

• Instagram

• the Facebook page

…
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