AT WORK

In the morning

My alarm clock rings at 7:30 a.m. and it’s hard: the night has been short, I often work late. The first thing I do: I check my phone, emails and Instagram for 30 minutes and then I run to school and then to the office.

My pedigree pro

I studied in Paris, then in a business school, EBS, and I specialized myself in finances. I worked a few years in the event business. When we moved to London for my husband's job, I applied to a children's clothing shop, created by Sabrina and Sarah Ettedgui, the daughters of Joseph's founder: that's how I started to work in the fashion.

And when I returned back to Paris in 2008, I created my own business in distributing leather goods. The brand Céline Lefébure was born in 2014.

My business has a story ...

It started with the bag from Chloé. Everyone had it back then in 2006. And then in September, on Walton Street or Sloane Square, no one. The Paddington bag had been replaced by another. I like the idea that a product, especially an accessory, is timeless.

My second step was the budget: can we have a nice bag without spending 1000 euros (or more) per season? I wanted to propose a nice object but that would not cost a fortune. So I decided to start, pushed by my husband, and inspired by my parents who were both entrepreneurs and who still advise me from a distance.

My typical day

There are not any ! It depends on the time of the year: either I am in the marketing phase with many appointments, or in production in Italy where manufacturing is done and there is also a lot of time on the phone.

I also launch a new collection from time to time.

It is a very varied rhythm, but very intense.

My Organizational Tips

It’s good to sort the emails – I wish my mail box was empty one day - and to create very elaborate to-do lists with very different areas: a column of things to do before school, another between school and arrival at the office. To organize oneself according to the things to do and what to expect.

My business app

Instagram: this is my daily communication. I look at what is being done, I follow the boutiques accounts I work with, bloggers, journalists, inspiring girls like Caroline de Maigret, Pauline Lefebvre, Inès de la Fressange... or the accounts of javier.garcia.lemoine, Naima Barcelona.

My worst memory

The day when a supplier sent me khaki and crocodiles leather blue bags, explaining to me that even if it was not at all what I had ordered, it would be sold very fastly... I sent everything back after a week!

Being a business-woman

That has never been a problem for me. I have always worked in men's environment: in events sector, production where there are only few women. In leather goods the environment is also very masculine. But it always went well, it never bothered me.

My best moments

All the first moments: a first article in Elle, my first delivery, when the first 10 boxes arrived with my first models, it was incredible. And when I see my bag worn in the street, in a restaurant, on a girl in Velib...

The outfit that makes me confident in case of important appointments

My white shirt Inès de la Fressange, bootcut jeans and pumps.

The job I dreamed of as a child

I had no idea, I just knew I would work a lot!

Discover the rest of my universe HERE