GIVEAWAY - MANOIR COLORE

WIN $100 TO SPEND @

Here we go again and I couldn't be more excited about this giveaway courtesy of the uber talented and accomplished Bayi de Souza of MANOIR COLORÉ. I fell in love with this France based designer's collection as soon as I saw it and was really happy that Bayi wanted to offer this deal to one of you guys. Perfect mix of modern and tribal design. This giveaway has been delayed so much because of my schedule and so much other stuff, so without further ado, let's discover MANOIR COLORÉ.

When did you start selling on Etsy and why Etsy?

I launched MANOIR COLORÉ on ETSY on September 18th, 2012.  I chose ETSY because according to me, this platform meets the needs of a new generation of creators and consumers who are more aware of the value of the work and of local know how. Furthermore, ETSY offers remarkable visibility for young designers who want to develop his/her brand to the international market.

Is this a full time job for you?
I studied fashion design and luxury marketing with the aim to create my top market fashion brand after school. After working for different fashion houses such as Nina Ricci or Louis de Gamma in London, I set up my own business to lead my project. I work full-time for MANOIR COLORÉ to promote a new refined tribal and international fashion line

What do you love about it?
After working for designers in Paris and London, I wanted to assert my sensibility through fashion. I am surrounded with a team which develops MANOIR COLORÉ under my artistic direction. I also love managing my brand, and the adrenalin I have when I am preparing a new collection. After every launch, I can’t wait to start again for the following collection.

If I could only buy one thing from your shop right now, which would you recommend?
MANOIR COLORÉ is a French made label and the products are made with passion. I am always looking for a mix between classic and trendy styles. I design according to a French know-how and this is why I would recommend all products we present in our Etsy shop. However, if I had to recommend a product in particular, it would be the Folk jacket. By itself, it represents MANOIR COLORÉ's DNA between an African and European aesthetic. The cut is very classic with African prints. The folk jacket well summarizes the MANOIR COLORÉ spirit, "no melanin free", tribal and refined fashion. Moreover, the folk jacket can be styled for many opportunities. You can wear it with a dress, a skirt, shorts, or with trousers (pants).

What was the first piece you ever made/designed/sold?
When I was younger and just starting my fashion studies in the fashion school at La Rochelle (France middle western), I spent 3 months in a fashion studio which produced clothes for Parisian haute couture houses. After a hard beginning at the assembly service, my internship manager introduced me into the realization line. There I made a Balenciaga dress. At that time, I was already a big admirer of the Parisian house. The dress I first made was difficult to assemble because it was very complex. The studio gave me the dress I made and I have been very proud of my work. I was honored to have realized a Balenciaga dress.




What are your plans for the future?
MANOIR COLORÉ launching on Etsy is a beautiful professional and human adventure for my team and I. I planned to develop my brand, bringing it to the international market with the aim to offer a mix of fashion French refinement and African tribal aesthetics. For the future, we plan to develop the MANOIR COLORÉ presence in different sale points in France and abroad. To finish, we are working on our communication strategy to develop the tribal and refined image of MANOIR COLORÉ, and make afro-French style our heavy hitter.

Do you have a workspace? If so, can you share what it looks like?
We are three in the team working to develop MANOIR COLORÉ. Our jurist lives in Lyon. The person in charge of the communication and I, in charge of the brands artistic and creative parts are based in Montpelier. We often go to Paris for professional meetings. As such, it would be difficult for me to give you a single workplace indication; at the moment we work in various places and out of different spaces and it permits us to develop the brand from different perspecitves.



Beautiful fabrics you have there, have you always worked with African prints?
I' m glad you liked our fabrics. The collection we present on ETSY is the first of a long series. For our first line, top market printed fabrics was obviously the best choice for my team and I. I realized most of the pieces in the real Vilco wax because I wanted to assert African tribal aesthetics through my clothes. However, we look towards the future and plan to create our own prints. You will soon discover a new range of MANOIR COLORÉ prints.



Any advice for those thinking about starting their own business?
It is necessary to be very aware of the financial and personal risks when starting out.  I would recommend to this person to be sure to be surround themselves with people who will support them in difficult moments during the process. It is very important to be able to count on close relationships to motivate you when you are down. According to the business sector and plans for future growth, I would advise every person with a start-up business project to make sure to have solid training both in terms of production techniques and in commercial management.

Being located in France, has it been difficult selling to the US market?
In France, we have a consequent number of exceptional know-how. Paris is the fashion city and several times during the year, several professional meetings such as fashion week allows creators to meet international buyers. Paris is a very big platform of international fashion and MANOIR COLORÉ will exploit this geographic advantage to sell around the world. It also seems that the American market is a choice destination for MANOIR COLORÉ because of its cultural diversity. We intend to promote our know-how in the US market very soon. For the moment, every person interested in the US can buy MANOIR COLORÉ clothes thanks to Etsy.




For fun: some fill in the blanks

I can't get through the day without.... thinking about MANOIR COLORÉ distribution on
different sales point.

I'm currently reading.... financial magazines. I need to be informed about financial market to
develop MANOIR COLORÉ. I also have a Vogue magazine with me because I need to dream a little bit and take inspiration for new collections. 

My favorite song is..... Voodoo woman from Kussay and the Smokes, French new blues & rap band. They have a very big talent and their universe in so singular. Something very mystic that I really love. They will not be unknown for much longer.

I'm lusting after..... French Haute couture designer Anne Valérie Hash « Clair » dress. I have been in love with this designer for  4 years now and I always love her designs. Her cut style is just so perfect. Nothing is free and details are very important in her work.

My dream vacation would be..... going to Brazil, best place ever to be when you are a sun hanger. Sao Paolo would be my first destination in Brazil.

Any local (in France) brunch recommendations: BIZZART, 167 QUAI DE VALMY 75010 PARIS. You will not be disappointed. A very nice concept when you have nothing to do on Sunday and want to do shopping and have a brunch time with friends.

Where else can we find your goodies? (website, FB, stores etc)
It’s with great pleasure that we invite, MANOIR COLORÉ fans to follow events we published on it's Facebook page. Concerning the sales, MANOIR COLORÉ products are exclusively sold on ETSY. This tends to develop quickly as we have proposition from warehouse sale in Montpelier, Paris and Lyon. Now, we are studying the various propositions to make the best decision for our brand. We are also developing the MANOIR COLORÉ website. We will inform you about the new sales point very soon on Etsy and on the Facebook page.

Thanks to Bayi for sharing her story as a fashion designer and for sponsoring this giveaway.

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Thanks.

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