Long gone are the days when the Devil still wore Prada. In 2022, the character played by Meryl Streep would likely act like Léandra Médine (creator of the Man Repeller website, followed by a million people). With a few clicks on Instagram, she would be drawn to the looks of Marie Dewet, 30, founder of MaisonCléo , the up-and-coming French brand that fashion enthusiasts, from Paris to New York, can't take their eyes off.

The young designer from Calais experienced meteoric success during the first lockdown. But this woman, who has now chosen the old town of Lille over Paris for her design studio, has remained true to her initial vision: to create sophisticated, hand-sewn fashion from fabric scraps and leftover rolls from luxury brands, along with locally sourced details ("buttons from the Somme region, vintage Noyon lace from Calais…"), sold in small quantities through the clever and eco-friendly pre-order system. Customers will need to be patient: MaisonCléo's online boutique is only open on Wednesdays at 18:30 pm (12:30 pm New York time) to keep up with demand. Boutiques and other multi-brand retailers will have to accept limited quantities… even if the plaid wool used to create a particular new jacket is only available for three pieces. " That's what makes MaisonCléo so charming ," says the woman who says she draws her creative inspiration from the universal, and ultimately quite classic, beauty of feminine curves.

"I couldn't find what suited me among the young labels"

MaisonCléo embodies the quest for authenticity that characterized the early 2020s. " My clients often tell me they feel like their grandmother sewed the garment for them ." The story of MaisonCléo actually began this way in 2016: " Because I couldn't find what I was looking for among the new labels—too many poor-quality, machine-made fabrics produced in windowless rooms—I bought silk and asked my mother, a seamstress ( nicknamed Cléo ), to recreate some clothes based on my designs ." A few looks posted on Instagram sparked interest. At the time, Marie was working at Vestiaire Collective, and she quickly created a website, without imagining what lay ahead. Today, you have to fight to get your hands on the "Agnès" blouse with its puffed sleeves, which has become her signature piece.

Among her achievements: the label, which held its first fashion show in Paris last March (featuring ultra-tight fuchsia pink tube dresses and turquoise mini-skirts in wild silk), is part of the select club of emerging brands sold by the prestigious Net-a-Porter , " and the only handmade brand in France ," she specifies. Having gone from a "small personal project" to a small business and a fully-fledged entrepreneur, this hard worker is now surrounded by a team of 14 people, " all women ": seamstresses, knitters, etc. And having demonstrated her ability to navigate the system skillfully, she has no intention of trading her youthful energy for the legendary stress of the industry. " It's really not money that motivates me. My goal is to make quality French-made products accessible ." And to participate in this transformation of our consumption habits.