The honest guide to French style ‘I
Elegant? Certainly. Effortless? Definitely not. Charlie Gowans-eglinton meets a woman selling Parisian style
t’s funny, because we always say that French girls are free girls – they look like they just put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but it’s a society that is hard, and harsh sometimes, because there’s this fantasy all over the world about French women.”
At a glance, Morgane Sézalory fits the fantasy. A petite brunette, lightly tanned, wearing a long, loose floral dress and no visible make-up, her style seems suitably effortless. But she isn’t keen to maintain any illusions.
“French women, they look that way, but at the end of the day, you know there are secrets behind the way they look. They are maybe more obsessed with their weight, always controlling the way they eat, and they like to pretend, oh, they didn’t do anything with their hair.
“We always try to pretend we don’t do anything to look good, and I think that’s the main difference to English girls. I actually love that about England, there’s less pretending somehow.”
It’s fair to say that Sézalory fell, rather than walked, into the fashion industry. Having come late to a talent for art at school, her plans to study political science were left behind, but she couldn’t find a degree that suited.
“It felt like art school was for artists, and I thought, I need to be independent, I can’t afford to become a free-spirited artist.” With online marketplace ebay then in its infancy, she began buying and selling vintage clothes on the site, starting with a few pieces that her sister left behind after moving to London.
“At that time girls in France they were crazy about ebay, it was so new. I’d work on the pieces, sometimes change the buttons or something, and within a week they would be sold for €500, when I only
paid €10.” With proof of a market, Sézalory launched a basic, pre-built, pay-monthly website – which featured a monthly “drop” of products she’d sourced and altered herself. It was wildly successful; the pieces would sell out within minutes. Realising she could never meet demand with one-off vintage pieces, the next step was to create her own.
Which brings us to today, and the elegant Parisian shop-cum-apartment we’re seated in. Sézane (a composite of Sézalory’s first and last names) is the realisation of those initial ideas. Other than this “apartment”, it’s online only. There are quarterly collections, topped up by smaller capsules throughout the year – swimwear here, a collaboration there, followed by a line of cushions and candles. The clothes are simple, elegant – think silk shirts that are ideal for both work and evening. All sell out quickly, helped, no doubt, by the price – this is high street, though you might not guess it from the luxury store fit or beautiful packaging.
“We think about what you need for everyday. A perfect pair of jeans, that you feel confident in and can mix with anything; a shirt, silk or cotton, that’s well fitted. I think shoes should always be the masterpiece, and bags – you can be wearing anything, and they elevate it. And then a dress that makes you feel like the man you love will always fall in love with you, every day.”
The sell-out nature of the pieces means that you won’t bump into ten women wearing the same thing on the street – but can also mean that many shoppers will be disappointed. If you’re quick, you can still find the flowing navy Iris dress (£155) and floral Jodi biker jacket (£140) online. The new collection, pictured here, will arrive on the site on Sept 1. While it helps to maintain exclusivity, it’s not an entirely conscious decision. Having avoided outside investment to maintain control, Sézalory, 32, feels the weight of responsibility to her 100-strong staff. “You have 200, 300 products, and you have to choose, months in advance, which will be the “one”, and buy 2,000 pieces of one dress – what if we don’t sell them?”
That responsibility – and love for the job – saw Sézalory work herself to near breaking point. “The company grew fast in the last five years. But I’ve realised now it was too much. Society says you should do everything perfectly, be the perfect mum, and work, and bake, and not complain. No – it’s hard. I have two girls, [aged] three and one. In the last two months, I’ve had to slow down to be able to go on. I lost my brother two years ago, and I’ve always had this philosophy of life, to embrace it. Some people say I’m an idealist; but I want my girls just to be simply happy. That’s the biggest luxury.”