#InPartnershipwithMCCOT
Jane Gustavsson
Paris
FRANCE
Life is not always a long quiet river. Troubles, changes and pains are unfortunately around the corner. The latter arrive without notice. As American committed Activist and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt declared 'When life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich or poor'. Each human being has to be prepared to cope with them, adapt and make the most of it. When, at the age of eight, Stockholm-born Jane Charlotte Tobali had to leave Sweden, her mother's homeland, and give up to a simple, slow, free, eco-conscious and poetic scandi living to move to the frenetic, noisy and fancy French metropolis Paris with her parents and her twin brother, it has been such a shock. It is how she remembers it laughing. But in the end, she fortunately found her way out, started to enjoy the sophisticated Parisian way of life and became, with time, a real townie. After a happy Scandinavian childhood, the shy Swedish-French little girl, who cherished Nature and has been passionate about horseback riding ever since, got used to the country of her father. A talented producer who founded and managed one of the most popular French rock bands in the 1970s: 'Les Variations'. Together with her brother, Charlotte happily grew up experiencing a kind of arty 'Vie de bohème', surrounded and inspired by the world of music, but also, by the fascinating one of fashion, as Ann Gustavsson, her beautiful mother was working as a model at that time. In a very natural way, and without too much introspection, in 1999, she joined Studio Berçot, the prestigious private training institute in fashion design established in 1954 by painter and Fashion illustrator Suzanne Berçot that unfortunately has to close its doors in 2023. After two years learning the basics, she was lucky to get an internship at Maison Chanel. Charlotte spent 15 years working in the big family built by late German Master and Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Training her creativity at 360 ° with one of the best. Enjoying the daily routine in a typical Parisian Haute-Couture Atelier. Discovering all the hard and meticulous work of the precious 'petites mains' behind the scenes and turning herself into a skilled fashion designer, ready to stand on her own two feet one day. But, as every good thing must come to an end, and even if it has been such an honor and a one-of-a-kind professional and personal experience that she will for sure never forget and will always be grateful for, in 2016 she decided to make a fresh start. After the intense joy of becoming a mother and the likewise huge sorrow caused by the loss of her mother, she needed to slow down, take a step back, work on herself- practicing a lot of Yoga Kundalini- and find a new path which perfectly suits the new woman she has become. She wanted to feel free again and have fun. She indeed couldn't stand anymore the pressure and frenzy of the money-oriented Industry that Fashion has unfortunately become in the last decade. Nostalgic of the 'esprit atelier' she experienced in her first years spent in Rue Cambon at Mademoiselle Chanel, she started dreaming of designing a collection that could be the perfect mix of her two European cultures and her love for Indian craftsmanship. Her idea was to establish a small independent clothing brand that firstly could allow her to express her personality and values in full freedom, makes her truly happy and can inspire other women to follow in her footsteps and become conscious consumers by buying less but better. A niche, eco-conscious, ethical, and slow brand with a scandi soul and a Parisian sophistication, born from love to bring love. An ode to a hygge quiet luxury. After the unsuccessful but educational launch of Atelier BARN, a kids clothing brand in partnership with her brother, 'Jane Gustavsson'- her first name mixed with her mother's family surname- was finally established a few years ago. It happened organically and almost by chance as she was feeling ready and was in the perfect place to embark on this new exciting journey, following her life motto 'You are never safe from a good surprise'. As a founder and ecopreneur, proud and committed supporter and ambassador of Slow Fashion, Charlotte has made the big decision to take her time to do things her way. Using her expertise and know-how to make a difference. Avoiding pressure and rush. Rejecting fast fashion, she has opted for an ethically handcrafted slow India-based production in small batches (50-80 items). Supporting and celebrating the work of talented and skilled Indian craftswomen who pass on the ancestral techniques of JAMDANI weaving and CHIKANKARI embroidery. It is a priority for her, as a woman, mother and human being to provide well-being for the female workers who make her designs become reality. But also for her clients that she is aiming to make beautiful, happy and glow. Charlotte designs comfy, feminine, timeless, seasonless, sophisticated, poetic and romantic garments- called ANN, SIGRID, ALICE , IDA..-.that can be mixed and matched to create a unique style. Items exclusively handmade using noble natural fabrics. In addition to hoping her brand to grow slowly but surely, Charlotte is now looking to build a team family around herself. To recreate the welcoming atelier atmosphere from her debut in the Fashion Industry. We wish her good luck because she sincerely deserves it.
All the pictures are Courtesy of Jane Gustavsson
IG
#InPartnershipwithMCCOT
#JaneGustavsson
#JaneCharlotteTobali
#Parisbasedbrand
#Indiancraftsmanship
#slowfashion
#JAMDANIweaving
#CHIKANKARI embroidery
#Artisanartwork
#HandcraftedinIndia
#ethicallymade
#slowproduction
#femaleecopreneur
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#madetolast
#timeless
#seasonless
#scandiquietluxury
#studioBerçot
#MaisonChanel
#passionatewomen
#reinventyourself
#findyourownpath
#believeinyourdream
#lessismore
#QualityoverQuantity
#slowliving
#smallbatches
#Creativepeople
#MCCOTsupportsTalent
