In 2013, Morgane Sézalory launched Sézane, the first French fashion brand born entirely online, a small revolution in the world of ready-to-wear. Since its creation, Sézane has enjoyed real success all over the world, and the brand will now be available in Quebec.
Sézane is clothing and accessories for women that have style, but with a vintage touch. Very feminine timeless pieces that seduce with their quality material. No wonder that from its inception in 2013, the brand has enjoyed dazzling success, and its founder, Morgane Sézalory, has become one of the most prominent young French entrepreneurs (turnover of more than 250 million euros in 2021 according to Les Echos). When we chat with this discreet and warm fashion enthusiast, we realize that she is almost surprised by her success.
It all started when Morgane Sézalory started selling vintage pieces on eBay. “It was in 2003, I was selling clothes online that I was looking for. We were at the beginning of e-commerce in France and I discovered the magic of the internet! “, she exclaims in an interview on the phone, from her Parisian home.
In 2008, she launched Les Componentes, an online sales site dedicated to vintage parts and accessories where she also offers some of her creations. “I was doing everything very instinctively, the clothes, the photos, and it immediately worked well,” she says in amazement. “We built a community of women who discovered that you could buy quality clothes at an affordable price, thanks to the internet. It didn’t exist at all at the time,” says the designer and entrepreneur.
In 2013, she launched Sézane (the contraction of her surname and first name), a brand that resembles her where she focuses on quality and online service. She creates the ideal wardrobe for women, including clothing and accessories at a fair price, dresses, sweaters, jeans, shoes and handbags.
“These are clothes that are worn in everyday life. Our clothes are feminine, comfortable to wear with cuts that highlight women. She specifies that she is self-taught, and that she learned a lot by working with vintage pieces, because there is this requirement for beautiful materials that cross the ages.
Over the years, success is there. The collections are selling at full speed via the website, then the designer launches October, the men’s clothing collection. Articles in the New York Times and Forbes magazine praise the “success story” of the young French entrepreneur who has a sense of fashion and inspiration.
“Sales are almost 90% online even today, 10 years later. This is what allows us to offer an exceptional level of quality, because we do not have huge expenses or additional costs, “says the founder of Sézane.
A dozen stores have opened over the years, in Paris, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, New York, London and pop-up stores in San Francisco, Brussels, Vienna and soon Montreal, in 2024. “We are looking for a magical place in Montreal for our pop-up store, because we always choose the locations of our stores, which we call apartments, with great care. These are favorite places. It makes it possible to welcome people as if I were receiving them at home, so naturally, I wanted to arrange and decorate the shops like an apartment. »
For Morgane Sézalory, who is expecting her third child, social commitment is an essential value. “We invest in fabric development, because 80% of our materials are eco-responsible, but we want to go even further. There is also a solidarity commitment from the brand with the DEMAIN program, for equal opportunities. We support access to education and culture for children in France, through associations. »
Morgane Sézalory is not short of inspiration. “I was lucky to have the culture of beauty, it’s very instinctive. I have no merit, it just comes to me! I still have so many ideas and desires for the years to come. »
