Founded by mother-daughter duo Nathalie (nickname Cléo) and Marie Dewet, MaisonCléo is a France-based label that has established an aura of exclusivity and responsibility around their designs.
Before founding MaisonCléo, Marie worked for Vestiaire Collective, a luxury secondhand fashion marketplace, as VIP manager. She often says that to her, buying eco-friendly and vintage goods has always been the obvious thing to do. Years of working is the fashion industry shaped her eye and style so when MaisonCléo was launched, she instantly found a balance between trendy ideas and vintage vibes.
No wonder the label’s style is driving influencers crazy: beautiful fabrics, limited-edition pieces and a sexy yet delicate spirit are in absolute coherence with our Instagram-driven era.
MaisonCléo brought back a business model that had almost disappeared from the market: the made-to-order functioning. Their e-shop opens every Wednesday, then the clients only have a few hours to order the design they want in their size. Cléo sews the designs in her Calais atelier, and they are shipped the week after.
This way of working allows the brand to produce few garments and control how many orders can be placed, while creating a frenzy about their e-shop openings and a feeling of exclusivity when clients get their order.
The brand goes further with sustainability by using deadstock fabrics only, sourced from the most luxurious brands in Europe. Marie selects them and then designs the clothes. This method avoids waste and the environmental impact of producing new materials.
Traceability is at the heart of MaisonCléo’s values, as they know from where their materials are coming from and quite literally know who is making the clothes. Inclusivity isn’t left out either, as clients can indicate their measurements in their orders. This way, the brand dresses every body type.
With this growing success, where is MaisonCléo going? According to founder Marie Dewet, they do not plan on becoming a large company, which would be contrary to their values of small and mindful production.
They might recruit more seamstresses when it comes to responding to bigger orders, for example when collaborating with retailers. For now they are keeping up with their business model, making no concession on style nor on sustainability.
All images in this article are courtesy of MaisonCléo.
