Meet Elsa Poux, founder of Mapoésie

Elsa, tell us a bit about yourself. What was your background before Mapoésie? Since I was young I always loved drawing, painting and embroidery. Naturally, I was drawn to Artistic Studies at the Arts Décoratifs school in Paris. I also loved ceramics, but ultimately I chose to pursue textile design. During the course, the school made us go on a discovery trip to India. Once I received my diploma, I took the opportunity to do a haute couture embroidery course at Lesage. For the first ten years I worked for Ventilo, where I learned a lot and thanks to whom I continued to work with India. The country and its artisans have always been a common thread and they inspired me to launch my own brand. How was Mapoésie created? Almost 8 years ago I threw myself into this adventure without really knowing what I was embarking on. I wanted to create a brand with a strong identity, a line of accessories with the idea of pursuing decoration. I love weaving, fabric printing, embroidery… working with artisans with real expertise. How do you build a new collection? To build a collection, I begin by looking for colours. I start with a theme, for example for Summer 2019 I chose “Miami art deco”. I don’t follow trends but rather my desires, whatever I feel would be good to create. Once I’ve found a theme, I take a sketchbook and fill it will colours, images that inspire me, fabrics etc… and then once the sketchbook is filled I use it to create pieces for the collection. The themes are different each season, and I never use the same designs for my pieces. What is your favourite piece from this season? The new beach collection with the XXL bags and the large Paris Miami and Echo beach towels perfectly represent our 2019 Miami Art Déco Summer collection! Tell us about your experience at the Who’s Next trade show… how long have you been participating there? What opportunities has the trade show given you? Who’s Next was the first trade show I participated in. I started in January 2010. It was at this trade show that Le Bon Marché came to place an order - I was so happy! The trade show has allowed me to get in touch with some beautiful boutiques both in France and abroad - particularly in Japan and Switzerland… There are many international buyers at the Who’s Next, which is great for our brand. Any funny stories from the trade show? I have become great friends with some of my stand neighbours. Over the years, we’ve been able to form real friendships with not only the exhibitors, but also the clients. A fun touch: the bubbles (glasses of champagne)! Any advice for those who are launching a brand and who want to participate at the Who’s Next trade show to get their name out there? It’s important to personalise your stand, in order to really give an identity to the brand that is being represented. It’s important to successfully communicate your brand through your stand. Do you have any upcoming projects? For upcoming projects, we hope to expand Mapoésie and open a new boutique in Paris, because why not! Interview in collaboration with Inside Closet. Read the full article here.