We live in a world where we want to feel special, we live in a world where we want to feel unique. We want to be treated individually special by the clothing brands we choose and yes if it’s possible we would, even more, likely want to have our own custom designed tailored items of clothing.
Dressarte Paris is one of them, Dressarte Paris is distinctive and not a mass production clothing company. Dressarte Paris is the first sustainable made-to-measure clothes brand. Created by Nathalie Neuilly with the idea to substitute a traditional atelier for a virtual one, Dressarte Paris is a celebration of personalised style, updated classics, perfect fit and timeless quality.
Dressarte Paris believes in fair labor standards and acts to reduce environmental impact by their activity. Dressarte Paris promotes more environmentally and ethically conscious production and consumption as important steps towards a more sustainable fashion industry.
"I’ve always believed that when we wear clothes that are well made, we feel better and more confident,” says Nathalie. “We encourage women to express their style, identity and self-confidence by allowing them to modify the design of clothes and adapt them to their body measurements."
Nathalie Neuilly
What inspired you to start a business in fashion? How did you come up with a sustainable custom-made clothing brand?
I grew up having my clothes tailored in an atelier run by my mother, but my corporate career with frequent travels and long office hours made it very difficult to find time for fittings.
So, I created the online brand after realising there might be other women out there like me, who had little time to visit a tailor but who wanted clothes customised and cut to their body measurements.
I’ve always believed that when we wear clothes that are well made, we feel better and more confident.
The custom-made approach makes it possible to produce only what is needed offering exceptional quality. So, there is no stock and overproduction and no extra resources are consumed. We function online which means that there are no additional costs and energy consumption on maintaining brick-and-mortar shops.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
During my student years, I was a member of the entrepreneurship club. As far as I remember myself, I’ve been always involved in different projects and have always wanted to be my own boss. But after finishing my studies I wasn’t courageous enough to set up my business and spent 6 years gaining experience in an international French company, living in 8 different cities across the world.
How do you make sure your customers find Dressarte?
From the very first day, Instagram has been an essential tool for us to communicate with clients, to кnow their opinions about the clothes we create. It is also a great means to deliver the key message of the brand. So, when posting images of the clothes we focus on the key values of the brand such as quality, sustainability, uniqueness and women empowerment.
In future, we plan to partner with concept stores that promote the same values as we do in Dressarte, so it could help us to increase brand awareness. We also envisage to take part in eco and sustainable trade shows to explore new opportunities, meet our partners and showcase our collections.
Can you describe your customers? How do your customers know what they want especially when it’s a virtual atelier?
We create classic collections for successful women who value quality, timeless design and individuality. Every garment is unique as we create it exclusively for every client. We encourage women to embrace their own uniqueness and feel self-confident by allowing them to modify the design and adapt clothes to their body measurements. On Dressarte website you can find a well-thought collection of garments to choose from. These garments have a few customisation options like fabric type, sleeve length, collar design, etc. We believe that every woman is unique and go beyond standard size while offering her to make a garment according to her body measurements. We know that custom-made approach is still something new, so we’re always happy to assist our clients online.
What marketing strategy do you think works best for your business?
Our marketing strategy is to invest in people who share our values. We have a community of brand ambassadors who help us to spread the word about Dressarte. Word of mouth marketing is also important to us, so we’ve implemented a very competitive Affiliate Program.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
The ability to work hard and smart, to motivate yourself every second, to communicate and listen.
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
As far as Dressarte is concerned, I’m proud of it being featured on Instagram for business this year. It means a lot to me to be supported by this amazing community.
We’re happy to receive positive feedback from our loyal customers who have special body types, and who previously had difficulties in finding the right size and style, and were obliged to have clothes altered. So, now they are our loyal clients.
What is your favourite aspect of being an Entrepreneur?
As Entrepreneurs, we certainly experience highs and lows. But at the same time, there are many positive aspects of being an entrepreneur. I absolutely like a certain flexibility and freedom when having a business and being your own boss. I like to create my own opportunities. There is no limit to what you can do when you are an entrepreneur, there is no growth ceiling.
If you had one piece of advice to our readers to those just starting a business, what would it be?
I would quote Steve Jobs who said: “Don’t waste your time living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Dressarte website : https://www.dressarteparis.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dressarte/
Nathalie instagram : https://www.instagram.com/natneuilly/
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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