HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?
My name is Félicie, and first and foremost, I'm a Parisian, but deep down, my heart belongs to China. It all happened quite by chance. I lived my whole life in Paris, then one day, for professional and family reasons, I had to move to China. I fell in love with the country, and I believe that thanks to this Chinese adventure (I lived there for ten years), I became even more open to travel and different cultures.
This expatriation completely opened me up to the world and made me want to travel even more. My Parisian side is still there, of course, but I have this open-mindedness, this desire for variety and travel that is always with me. That's also why I think I'm open to everything that happens around me.
I have a rather eclectic style, while obviously remaining quite French, but I like to have touches from all over the world. This has always been the case, even before my trip to China. I've always loved to travel and bring back things from my different journeys. When I arrived there, I wanted to wear what I saw while mixing it with my Parisian style. That's how I created Chinoises.
I worked in communications for a luxury brand for a long time; I am a communicator: I like meeting people, opening myself up to other cultures, to other countries. Then, the Chinoises adventure began and pushed me to develop my creative side.
TELL US HOW YOU CAME TO CREATE THE CHINOISES BRAND?
It was when I moved to China to follow my husband and continue my career, which I had started in Paris in communications, that I discovered this magnificent country, China.
I first worked for six years at Hermès in China, continuing my Parisian career in communications. After six years, as I was traveling a lot in the country with my family and this culture was opening up to me, I discovered a whole universe I didn't know at all.
I wanted to wear everything I saw: the embroideries of the mountain ethnic groups, the phoenixes, the dragons… All this imagery, even the Chinese characters that I found beautiful and wanted to wear. However, everything was too traditional when I tried to buy a Chinese jacket in a shop in Shanghai.
That's how I had the desire and made the decision to create Chinoises, adapting this Chinese style to my French aesthetic.
WE NOTICED A NEW "BY VOYAGEUSES" LOGO DURING YOUR LAST PARTICIPATION AT POINT PHYSIQUE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Indeed, since this season, there is a new label that says "Chinoises by Voyageuses". This is a first step towards a change, a transition to the name "Voyageuses". In fact, it's also plural, just like "Chinoises" was, now it's "Voyageuses".
The idea is to open myself up to other cultures, not to limit myself to China. To use other crafts from different countries, different cultures, and, following the same principle as for Chinoises, add a slightly different touch to make it more suitable for our Western style.
It also means having a basic travel wardrobe of clothes, like jackets, jumpsuits, t-shirts, pieces you always want to have in your suitcase when you travel. Then, this wardrobe will be punctuated by capsules of items from other countries, made in the featured country. These pieces will precisely complement our wardrobe with timeless elements.
I'm going to start with Tunisia!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE FROM YOUR COLLECTION?
For this collection, I love the Officer dress. I enjoy revisiting uniform jackets, utility jackets, or workwear from China.
It's a shirt dress that I wear either as a dress or a tunic. It has two shoulder tabs, is fully buttoned from top to bottom, and has two patch pockets.
I've always liked things that are a bit masculine, feminine, and revisiting uniforms then adding my logo. This dress is an example of that.
I'm not going to present it yet, but in a month, I'll receive my first creation by Voyageuses.
These are the famous Tunisian t-shirts, which are a classic: buttoned t-shirts with a few buttons and stripes. Originally, they are almost undergarments that women have used in Tunisia since the beginning of the century, which they wore under their wedding clothes, and which come in several colors. It's called a Fadhila.
Next month, we will have the "Fadhila by Voyageuses".
AS A CONNOISSEUR OF THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF SHANGHAI, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDRESSES TO SHARE TO TAKE US ON A JOURNEY?
I have many. In Shanghai, you absolutely must wander through the former French Concession. This neighborhood is fascinating, not only for its history but also for its very varied architecture. Many buildings were designed by Europeans at the beginning of the 20th century. The streets are lined with plane trees planted by the French for shade, and you can find Art Deco houses, as well as houses that look like they're from New England or even Spain. Cycling through this neighborhood is an experience not to be missed.
Ginger by the Park is a fusion food restaurant with a terrace overlooking a pretty park, perfect for lunch in the former French Concession.
DinTaiFung Restaurant is renowned for its best steamed dumplings.
Find the CHINOISES by Voyageuses brand on their e-shop https://www.chinoises.fr/