Portrait #17 : Invincible Été
Portrait of Ariane de Béchade, co-founder of Imparfaite!
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Imparfaite invited us to its Vintage Fair to celebrate spring. On this occasion, Ariane de Béchade granted us an interview in which she shared her passion for vintage! Her eye for finding the rare pearl led her to launch an entrepreneurial adventure by creating Imparfaite, the digital platform for vintage clothing and accessories. We guarantee that this portrait will convince you to switch to responsible fashion!
Hello Ariane, how are you? Can you tell us more about your background?
Hello Herbarium! Very well thank you, our Vintage Fair is in a few days, I can't wait! After two years of preparatory classes and a business school, I started my first internships at Chanel and then Yves Saint Laurent, where I got my first contract in product development. I then moved to Lanvin, where I worked for 5 years alongside Alber Elbaz and Elie Top, as a product manager for jewellery and accessories. I was able to discover the creation of a collection, from the idea to the fashion show.
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Why did you choose the name Imparfaite?
Imperfect because we all are, and that makes us unique. Just like a vintage piece, a different coloured button on a blazer, a perfecto slightly worn at the elbows. A vintage piece comes with its own history, to live a new life with us. Imperfect too, because we love everything that is imperfect.
Can you tell us about the Vintage Fair that you organise?
The platform comes to life for the third time over a weekend on April 2 and 3! We're bringing together the top 30 sellers on the platform, with over 8000 unique vintage pieces to celebrate spring.
What do you think is the must-have vintage piece for spring?
A pretty white cotton blouse, to wear open, with jeans, Jane Birkin style. A spring uniform!
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With Imparfaite, you campaign for a more responsible lifestyle, how does this apply to your daily life?
Eco-responsibility is present in my daily life. First of all with fashion, of course, I only buy vintage pieces (i.e. pieces that are more than twenty years old). In my food, I only buy organic, local and seasonal food, I use glass containers and bulk food and I have a compost in my garden. And I do everything by bike! I'm not perfect, but I try to do my best to limit my carbon footprint.
What is your favourite herbarium and/or bouquet?
I love the Agape bouquet, a symbol of bonté. Its pink and soft colours are very feminine! Among your herbariums, I love the letters in white tones, which I would like to see in my daughter Pia's room!
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What is your favourite flower? Why do you ask?
I love the mimosa in February, what a joyful shot of yellow in the winter! They were particularly beautiful this year.
A mantra you always have in the back of your mind?
"Buy less, choose well" by Vivienne Westwood.
What advice would you give to people who would like to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure?
Don't wait too long before starting, even if it means starting with something imperfect and perfecting it over time.
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Any Instagram accounts you'd like us to discover?
I love @messynessychic who takes pictures from her balcony of complete strangers in Paris!
For an upcoming Herbalover portrait, who would you recommend?
My stylist friend Marie-Victoire de Bascher who has an endless imagination and a sublime pencil line! We met at Yves Saint Laurent, then at Lanvin, and we've been together ever since.
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