‘My mother still doesn’t know how to pronounce the word “Instagram” correctly’, laughs Marie, one half of the French mother-daughter duo behind MaisonCléo.

Famous for its sustainable credentials and guerrilla social media marketing, Insta-famous MaisonCléo is setting the standard for slow fashion businesses by keeping it in the family.

But is working with your mum always la belle vie?

Though we love our mothers dearly, many of us would balk at the idea of starting a business with them. However, that is exactly what 27-year-old designer Marie Dewet has done. Alongside her mother, 56 year-old Nathalie Dewet - Cléo to her friends - they have created MaisonCléo, the slow fashion brand taking Instagram by (steady) storm.

maisoncleo
Courtesy of brand

The pair’s use of deadstock fabric and small made-to-order batches for their simple, vintage-inspired designs, has won them big-name fans such as Leandra Medine and Emily Ratajkowski. Though incredibly modern-feeling in its approach to marketing, MaisonCléo’s philosophy most closely resembles the ateliers of years past.

Taking MaisonCléo’s old-school endeavour into the future, tech-savvy daughter Marie spoke to us about the perfect alchemy of craft, grid curation and being your mum’s boss.

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How did you first get into business with your mum?

It was a time where I wanted to buy local products for food, furnitures, clothes - everything, but all the French clothing brands I found were using synthetic fabrics in their collection and at very expensive prices.

I knew how much a metre of polyester costs so for me these prices were not fair at all. So I started making silk strapless tops with my mother, and then created an Instagram account to post what we were making.

More and more people liked what I posted and I received more and more demands of people wanting to buy what my mum made - so I had to create a website. As we sold more and more pieces, we had to create a brand name. We created MaisonCléo. And here we are now.

Were you always inspired by your mum's style?

I love looking at pictures of her when she was young. I love her style so much. I am always so sad that she gave a lot of her clothing to friends or second-hand boutiques.

A lot of her clothes were also handmade by her, and for me she was really unique amongst her friends because she was the only one to own these pieces of ‘homemade’ clothing. I just want to be like her at her age.

Plenty of people love their mums, but wouldn't want to work with them, what’s your working relationship like?

I don't know what people think but we have a lot of fun everyday. My mum is so happy and excited everyday for everything.

She often tells me this is a total dream for her to work with her daughter, and to be able to sell the things she makes for others. She never had her own brand before, instead she worked for factories and later in her own studio for personal tailor enquiries.

Of course we bicker a lot too. How can we not? She is like my best friend so if I want something ‘like this’ I won't always employ the kindest words to say it, but I will be direct.

I just want to be like her at her age.

Honestly, I think it is so much easier and faster to work with your mum, because we don't have to be afraid about what you say or you ask. If I don't like the sample I can say it immediately. Everything is easier in my opinion.

We want to know who’s the boss? Are you business partners or mother and daughter first?

I don't see us like business partners at all but like friends, or mother and daughter.

Having said that, I am the boss because I am in charge of the image and creative direction of the brand. I find and choose the fabrics, I design the items she makes, I choose the partnerships we want to work with and so on.

But I couldn’t do what I do without her because she is the most perfect seamstress I know. She can sew everything from a cushion to a wedding dress.

Your business model is modern, yet also uses traditional seamstress work, is this the different generations at play?

My mother still doesn’t know how to pronounce the word ‘Instagram’ correctly, and lately I have shown her how she can look at the pictures we're tagged in, so this is pretty funny.

But yes, I think this is a strength to combine both of our ages. Maybe we are more down to earth thanks to that; people can identify with us and feel closer to us.

Out of the two of you, who takes the lead on sustainability?

My mum only buys second hand items or makes her own clothes so she is sustainable in herself, I continue that work into the brand as a whole - our packaging, the material we find and so on.

Of course we bicker a lot too. How can we not?

Other than your mother, what other women in your life inspire you?

I am always surprised when I see my grandmother because she is more than 80 now and always so well dressed every time she comes home for a dinner. She wears all her jewellery, matching sets and a beautiful bag. She pays a lot of attention to what she wears and how she looks - it’s very inspiring. Also she knows everything about trends and types of fabrics, so she is very helpful and impressive.

I met a retired knitter last year in the north of France and I am now helping her sell her wares on Instagram.

There must be a lot of women like her in France, with a traditional craft but who can’t express or show people what they can make because nobody looks at them. I want to show people the know how and expertise of other French women, and she won't be the only one.

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