Morgane & Her Home
When Morgane Sézalory of Sézane invited me to Paris to meet her and to experience her Paris, I knew I couldn’t pass it up! One of the biggest highlights of the trip was my lunch with Morgane in her gorgeous home. First off, her home is on my list of top 5 favorite homes ever! The fact that I got to see it in person and photograph it for you guys was a dream come true.
When you walk into her home, you will likely notice it’s filled with the most incredible light. It’s bright and airy and makes the white walls shine. To me, having good natural light is one of my number-one priorities in a home, and hers has an abundance of it. Then you will notice her impeccable use of color, her love of unique artwork and super stylish layered vignettes. Morgane’s home is very eclectic and shows a lot of her personal style.
In our interview with her, she opens up about how to get her style, what makes her brand stand out among the crowd, where she likes to shop and how she juggles a growing fashion empire while raising two little girls. I hope you enjoy this home tour as much as I did. We also have an Instagram LIVE that we’ve saved and will post to our Facebook page today.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
I’m a 32-year-old in love, with two girls—Nina, 3 and Olivia, 1.5. I’ve founded the first French digital brand called Sézane (a contraction of my last and first name). I’m self-taught and I’ve been obsessed with freedom since I was 15. My professional story really started 13 years ago, without knowing it, thanks to my free-spirited family and the magic of the internet!
Having passed my high school diploma as a free candidate, I decided to take a year off to think about what I really wanted to do instead of launching myself straight into further study. Then my sister went to live in London, leaving three bags of clothing behind. With these treasures in one hand and my camera in the other, I thought I’d have a go at eBay with no particular expectations. After a short time, I started to gain a lot of followers and that’s how I realized that the internet was my big chance and offered the opportunity to invent my own job, my own world.
Without knowing it, this was the start of Sézane. Now 13 years later, Sézane employs more than 100 people and is still very exciting and surprising—it’s a new world to explore each day.
WHAT INSPIRED SÉZANE?
My obsession with freedom and the desire to do things differently—with love and respect for the customer and the desire to create and produce the best products for them: The best designs, the perfect cut, the best materials and an honest price!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
My favorite thing about Sézane is that after 13 years, it does not feel like a job, but more like a playground. I never get bored of it—every day is surprising and always fun even when challenging, and it is also a real human adventure (with my family and all the people working with me!).
The least favorite thing might be that it is also a passion, so it’s not easy to be rational. It’s always really intense. There is always something going on and something to check to make it better. I’m learning to slow down since last January when my body stopped me! It was my biggest chance to try to find a balance.
TELL US THE STORY BEHIND YOUR HOME.
We found this apartment in 2015 when we needed to move in a bigger apartment for the birth of our second girl! It was not love at first sight for the space itself because it was very plain, but we loved the light and the fact that it was a space where we could imagine the perfect plan. We were able to make it look like «us.»
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR INTERIOR STYLE?
Personal and organic. It’s like if we collect vintage furniture and souvenirs and at the end everything was meant to be together. We love history and charm and we try to express this in our choices.
DID THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME CHANGE AFTER YOU HAD CHILDREN?
Not really. My mom was always very cool about material things, so I’m the same. I don’t really care if things break or books tear apart. We are just careful with corners/angles so we almost never have to say «be careful.» The only thing that changed is that I used to not like pink before I was a mom and now I’m into pink. It’s soft and positive.
DO YOU HAVE A PHILOSOPHY WHEN IT COMES TO DECORATING?
Create a space where you feel good, with colors that you like and products that are comfortable—a space where you really feel free and at home.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
Simple, but with beautiful fabrics, colors, shapes. I’m always working on a new collection and I feel like I need to rest with my own clothes to keep a pure point of view. It’s strange, I was much more communicative with my clothes when I was younger.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN THE HOUSE?
The kitchen and our bedroom. The kitchen is where we spend most of our time with family and friends and the bedroom is just a little heaven for my husband and I. It’s our world and the light is very special.
It is really organic; I never think about it. To mix and compose is like breathing for me. I realized at some point that things I collect year after year end up coming together and make beautiful scenes/vignettes naturally.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE?
It is super easy and quick. I really like to keep it natural and I don’t spend a lot of time on it.
I clean my face with a fresh mousse from Sisley and I’m addicted to Advanced Night Repair from Estée Lauder. Then, I add a little makeup—mascara and terra-cotta blush—and at night, I wash with the same mousse and moisturize.
YOU INCORPORATE COLOR SO WELL INTO YOUR HOME? HOW DO YOU DO IT WITHOUT IT BEING TOO MUCH?
Everything is made really spontaneously! For example, the big Persian carpet in the living room «found us» and there were touches of pink and green. At the same time, I was making pink and green pillows for Sézane. We love neutral materials, like wood, marble and white walls so it makes it easier to add colors.
FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP IN PERSON FOR YOUR HOME?
Flea Market
India Mahdavi
Antoinette Poisson
Astier De Villatte
Bon Marché
Alix D. Reynis
FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP ONLINE FOR YOUR HOME?
eBay
Vanity Boum for the lamps
Good Moods for a mixed selection
HOW HAS BECOMING A MOTHER INFLUENCED YOUR DECORATING STYLE?
Not much, except maybe more color and attention to shapes that do not hurt little ones.
WHO OR WHERE DO YOU LOOK TO FOR INSPIRATION?
My eyes are wide open all the time! A movie, street, women, a color, a book, a fabric…
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR KIDS’ THINGS FROM TAKING OVER YOUR SPACE?
They have their own playroom, so it’s easy, but I actually like it when they bring some mess in the living room. I love homes that feel alive.
TELL US ABOUT THE DESIGN OF YOUR GIRLS’ ROOMS.
A soft atmosphere with pastel colors. It’s simple so it can now evolve with what they want.
WHAT’S ONE THING THAT REALLY MAKES A ROOM?
The light can change everything, a big vintage mirror and wood.
CAN YOU GIVE US A QUICK RUNDOWN OF A TYPICAL DAY FOR YOU?
Each day is so different with new people to meet, new adventures and things to learn for and about my kids, and new challenges and ideas at work. However, a typical day would be:
Waking up early to spend some time before the day starts with my husband, Olivia and Nina. Make a yoga kundalini class—I started a few moths ago and I love it, I’ve found a great teacher. Afterwards, I spend the day at the office, working with the team on the collection, brainstorming about new projects to come and thinking about the next photo shoots. At the end of the day, I go back home with my husband and we have family time and then couples’ time or friends’ time. I also try to read before falling asleep.
WHAT ARE 5 APPS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
Spotify
Sézane
Instagram
Sonos
Planoly
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE DÉCOR ITEMS IN YOUR HOME?
A vintage box with an M on it my mom gave me—I will keep it forever.
Vintage pictures of my grandparents, my parents, my brother and sister…
A collage picture that Corentin, my partner, gave me. I love the colors so much.
Music…I love listening to jazz or folk music.
An India Mahdavi lamp (pink and green) that my husband gave me for Christmas…it’s like a jewel.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU CAREER-WISE?
Keep teaching everyone on the team how to do everything else, so I can spend more time working on the collections and the future of Sézane. Also, more concretely, we are planning to have several pop-up stores in the U.S. in 2018, amazing new collections and a new, more luxury line next spring. Sézane will celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2018!
