Meet Cézanne Morgane Cesarori, the founder of Fashion Woman

It’s July and Paris is in decline. It’s not the buzz of fashion week or other festivals, but it’s the prelude to the August summer holidays when the city is buzzing. There’s an unusual strain to Paris’ devil-may-care vibe, though not enough to stray too far from the norm. It is Paris, after all.

I’m sitting in Morgan Caesar’s office. French fashion brand founder Cézanne, like most Parisians these days, is late to the interview, tying up loose ends before her own summer plans begin. She has an annual summer party to host and her two young daughters to see for their holidays.

It’s easy to see what makes the founder of France’s first online fashion brand tick in her office. The space is elegant yet approachable, comfortable yet elevated, textured yet clean—like the clothes she designed for Cézanne.

There are neatly stacked books everywhere, on many subjects, but they’re not just for display, they’re sort of stacked, a thumbs up for inspiration. There are several books on James Barnor’s book on the nude Matisse, photo-heavy tomes on African textiles in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and a book on exhibitions from the Peggy Guggenheim collection. Surrealism and magic.

As one of France’s most beloved cult labels known for its modern femininity, wearability, desirability and – above all – accessibility, it’s curious how Cezalori translated her lofty inspiration into Cézanne’s striking and vintage-inspired designs.

“My favorite thing about life is to see a little bit of magic in everything. Because I can see it in everything. I think that’s my gift,” Cezalori says when asked about these inspirations. Magic is the ability to see.”

Cesalori’s education in fashion is hardly traditional. Of course, it is not normal, even. She left school at the age of 16 and chose not to attend university. Instead, she started a business finding and selling high-quality vintage pieces to sell on eBay, which eventually grew into an online store called Les Composens.

“I learned a lot about fashion through the vintage beauties I sell. It was the best design school because when you have to rebuild or repair or fix, you see how it’s made and you have to work with intricate, small details,” Cezalori says.

With a natural eye for the unique and artistic, Cesarori selects 100 pieces each month for Les Composantes, calling it a monthly iteration that sells out in minutes. It’s a business that has earned her many customers who look forward to her latest selections and is the forerunner of Cézanne, which she launched in 2013. Today, Cezalori leads and oversees a team of 400 spread across Cézanne’s corporate offices and retail locations. A coveted spot on the BoF 500, the ultimate list of the world’s most influential fashion professionals.

Les Composantes helped Cezalori lay the foundations for her business strategy. As her wine business grew, she saw with her own eyes the growing frustration of her customers that there was not enough supply to feed their hungry appetites. The experience revealed that random, one-of-a-kind drops every month are not suited to women’s everyday needs. So when she launched Cézanne, she continued to offer 12 drops a year but made a much larger selection to satisfy customer demand. This concept is commonplace today, but when Cezalori started doing it 15 years ago, she was in this practice.

“It was very special at the time. I was very honest about the season and your needs every month when most brands put out two big collections. When it’s winter, you come in February and you get summer clothes and clothes. She gave him a small nod and smiled. “Crazy”

Her voice exudes pride in her practicality.

“DeGourdie,” she says. She continued: “It’s Degurdy. I have two daughters, and they always say. ‘Oh Mom, it’s going to be okay, you’re so deGordie.’” Basically finding a way to make things happen, a skill Cezalori says runs in her family.

“I grew up with a lot of faith, but also a lot of practicality. What my mother always wanted in life was not for us to go to the best schools or get good grades. We really did because my sister and brother and I – we were good at school, but my parents were pretty easy.

They come from a very modest family and have nothing but love in their childhood, and they know how to make things and know beauty, and that makes them have a common understanding of everything. My mother wants us to be happy and she wants us to find our way, to find a solution. Degurdy! To find a way,” she laughs.

When Cézanne was founded, Césalory was the epitome of this French word. She was self-educated, self-directed – and not to mention young – and respected her parents’ values ​​and instincts (she says she does more business by picking up signs and seeing empathy than relying on numbers). The business, which spans the globe from Paris to New York, has managed to build dozens of pop-ups in major international cities. The latest of these pop-ups opened last week in San Francisco.

The stores, called apartments, are designed to bring the essence of Paris to Cézanne’s retail world with an interior design that brings the customer into a dream Parisian apartment. Located in the heart of San Francisco on Fillmore Street, the store brings together Cezanne’s universe of fall handbags, jewelry, apparel and menswear (called the Cezanne Distribution line) with select pieces from local businesses and San Francisco-based artisans. For the ultimate marriage between the Left Bank and the West Coast.

The growth begs the question: Is it big? Where does Caesar want Cézanne to go? After all, not all fashion companies want to be Chanel. Many are happy to be on Dries Van Noten’s level – consistent, clear, respectful enough sales to know your worth.

I want nothing more than to be an independent woman and be happy. “To be honest, I think that’s my only goal,” she explained. “The way I work is like a good baker, who wants to make great bread, who loves his customers, who wants to make the most beautiful shop, a place for the people and who wants to treat the people. Better, with a smile. And sometimes the kind of baker you give, with the crust left over.” .

“And that’s how I do things. There is a lot of common sense, good feeling, quality, love and respect for consideration. And I’m totally obsessed with doing things better every day than yesterday. So loyalty is there, and this is the only secret. Because it is like that, if it has no real desire to grow and grow, then it will grow by itself. It just grows.”

The conversation turns to her 6- and 8-year-old son, who are going on vacation in a few days. “They are sorely missed,” Cezalori said. “So I’m going to spend tonight with them at home. But first I have to design. Then my ladies, then the party. All in one night? Bien Sur. She is Degourdi.