A conversation with
Clémence Dru
She welcomes us with her soft voice and a broad smile. It's a grey day out, but we already know we're in for a lovely time at Clémence's, co-founder of Côme Editions. Clémence founded this women's ready-to-wear house in 2015 with her brother Matthieu. Côme, from the Greek Kosmos, means the Universe, Balance and Harmony. Much like the lovely creator's flat itself, which carries all the charm of a typical Parisian home, given a twist by its colourful, joyful decoration.
Hello Clémence, could you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm the co-founder of Côme Editions. I set up this brand after studying fashion design, graphic design and brand management. In my personal life, I'm married to Antoine and we have two sons, Noah, who's three, and Joseph, who's one.
You created Côme Éditions with your brother, did you grow up in a family with a creative soul?
Yes. There are five of us, brothers and sisters, and our parents always encouraged us to follow our own path. In the end, we all went down different but complementary artistic roads, which means we often end up working together. We have a sister who's a screenwriter and film director, two brothers who work in music, one a producer, the other a music therapist, our mother is a photographer, sculptor and writer, and our father works in advertising but has a creative soul too.
Where do you draw your fashion and interior design inspiration from?
Pretty much everywhere. I love watching people in the street: their look, their silhouette, their style. In my travels too. I adored my trip to Japan, for instance, because I'm a great fan of anything architectural, clean-lined and minimalist. In Senegal, too, I let myself be carried away by the combinations of colours and patterns. What I don't do, though, is follow trends. I love timeless cuts and silhouettes, while mixing genres and styles. It's the same with decor, I want to mix it all up!
« I love timeless cuts and silhouettes, while still mixing genres and styles. »
You're known for your lovely embroidered jackets, what was the process behind creating them, from idea to reality?
It's a project that came about entirely by chance. My brother and I had studied, but neither of us had any professional experience in the fashion industry. So we've always worked on instinct. I wake up with an idea and that very evening we put it into action. As for the embroidered jackets, I once set off to Senegal for a photoshoot of our clothes. I had a small collection with me, and I saw women embroidering cushions for CSAO (a shop selling African crafts in France, whose founders are distant relatives of mine).
I suggested these women embroider our jackets and I immediately thought the result was brilliant. Barely a month later, we were offering our customers the chance to personalise their jackets. Looking back, it was a little rushed, we really needed to refine and structure the project, but we realised there was real enthusiasm for it. It’s a project that’s very close to our hearts, but it’s difficult to set up because these women aren’t trained embroiderers, they learn on the job, as their lives are often complicated and this is a way for them to find a way through. That’s why today we only take orders two or three times a year. We noticed that customers increasingly wanted to add their own personal touch, embroidering, for instance, their partner’s name or a family message. They also spark conversations with people in the street, so they’re jackets we’re particularly fond of.
How did you think through the styling of your interior, and does it evolve over time?
When it comes to decorating our flat, we mostly go with our heart. So whatever the style of our furniture, we wait until we're completely smitten with a piece before bringing it home, and it's a bonus if it happens to work with everything else. As for furniture, I love pieces that have already lived a little, like vintage finds with stories to tell. I struggle to get attached to anything new, apart from a few pieces from my sister-in-law Sybille de Tavernost's décor brand, which she gave us as gifts. Other than that, everything here was either found secondhand or passed down through our families. My taste doesn't really change over time, I tend to stay true to what I love, and I place a lot of sentimental value on objects. Everything we have here carries its own meaning.
« I place great sentimental value on objects. The ones we have here all carry their own symbolism. »
Greenery and colour, what role do plants play in your home?
I adore the colour green, it's everywhere in our flat! Plants too, we have them in every size. I find they bring real presence, real warmth to a home. And you grow attached to them, because unlike flowers, which I also love very much, plants last. They're a bit like members of the family.
How did you steer your choice of By Charlot plants and pots?
I chose La Dorlotée, L'Élégante and La Délicate for their poetry, all three are simply too pretty. But also because I have a soft spot for ficus. I adore this plant and I know it has air-purifying, cleansing properties, so it pleases me to have some at home. And for the pots, I've stayed rather faithful to my colour palette, choosing water green, blue-grey and a coppery pink that go beautifully with the tones chosen for our home.
« I've chosen La Dorlotée, L'Élégante and La Délicate for their poetry, all three are simply too pretty. »
Your everyday green habits, at work and at home?
At home, we sort our waste, we eat organic, and I avoid giving my children plastic toys. At the office, we overhauled the whole brand a few months ago to make it as responsible as possible. We no longer have fabrics made specially, we only use existing fabrics, we have our entire collections produced in Paris in a small workshop we adore, we use eco-responsible packaging that's biodegradable and compostable, and our deliveries in Paris are made by bike. These are our main eco-friendly steps.
What are the challenges and joys of an entrepreneur's life, for you?
They're often linked. I'm very attached to my freedom and independence, for instance, which are priceless to me, but on the other hand, my professional life often spills over into my personal life. I can end up working very late in the evening and sometimes at weekends, I worked right up until the end of my pregnancies and never really took maternity leave. It's always a bit tricky to find the right balance, but I'm still very attached to my freedom.
A wish for the future of fashion and Côme Éditions?
The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, that the fashion industry should become far more eco-responsible. I'm optimistic, because I think there's a genuine, widespread awareness now and a lot is being put in place. There are still some major players who have a long way to go, but on the whole, it's positive. With Côme, I want to keep creating freely. Whenever I like, however I like, and today that's the case, so I hope it stays that way!
