MARIEFRANCE COHEN

We meet the inspiring Parisian designer and entrepreneur, MarieFrance Cohen, to nd out more about her latest projects and why she will always be a Parisian at heart. INTERVIEW EN RI QUE N

You created the iconic French children’s brand, Bonpoint, followed by Merci concept store, which are both iconic shopping destinations in Paris. Why did you decide to launch these brands? In 1972, my husband Bernard and I launched Bonpoint, which is a French fashion house for newborn babies and children with very elegant and classic collections. Over the years, the brand became very successful, and we opened boutiques in many countries around the world. After running the business for 35 years, we decided to sell Bonpoint in 2007.

In 2009, my husband and I still felt motivated to be creative and we were really thankful for the great life that we had. So we decided to launch a new, non-pro t business with the proceeds of Bonpoint, called “Merci”—which means “thank you” in French. Making money is a great thing, however, it’s also important to do something worthwhile, to give back to the community and to help others to create jobs and education for their own children. All of the bene ts of Merci are distributed to a foundation based in Madagascar, a huge island facing the South-East coast of Africa, where poverty a ects 99% of the population. We wanted to help underprivileged families and children by providing them with local training and education.

Merci concept store is a 1,500m 2 contemporary space in the Marais, housed within an 18th-century building which was formerly a wallpaper factory. We created several levels dedicated to furniture, a bookstore, accessories, cafés and of course, fashion. We represent many fashionable brands such as Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, Martin Margiela, and also many lesser-known brands too—as long as we love their design and that they accept to be part of our charity program by signi cantly decreasing their margin. is was a major condition of working together!

In late 2013, you sold Merci to the Gerbi group. What are the next projects that you’re working on? Yes indeed, the Gerbi acquired Merci. We invested the proceeds from the sale into building four local schools to provide education to more than 1,000 children in Madagascar. However, I’ll continue to work for Merci, since we are planning to open our next store in London and potentially later on in Tokyo and New York City. I travel to London several times a month to visit potential locations for the concept store. I love the energy of London, especially in East London, where you can nd so many original independent stores.

I’m also helping my son Julien with the design of several of his restaurants in Paris. Designing spaces is one of my favourite things to do! I have been involved with his Paris-based Italian restaurant, Grazie, and we are working on the opening of a new restaurant in the brand new Beaugrenelle area in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

You opened Bonpoint next to the Luxembourg park, live close to the Invalides and work in Le Marais. Which is your favourite area in Paris? at’s a di cult question as every area in Paris is amazing and has so much to o er ... from the city’s cobblestone streets, to its museums and charming Parisian cafés. I would say that I’m very much a Left Bank person, as the 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements really represent my Paris. Of course, the Marais is fabulous with its charming hotels particuliers that you can discover by wandering around its winding streets. In summary, I love Paris without limits!

What are some of your favourite cafés and restaurants in Paris? ere are so many! For breakfast, I love to go to Café de Flore , facing the Saint Germain church. It’s an institution in Paris with its Art Deco style; so many French artists and intellectuals have celebrated this place, especially in the 50s and 60s. For lunch, three of my favourite places are Brasserie Lipp on Boulevard Saint Germain, La Closerie des Lilas which is close to the Luxembourg gardens, and Le Voltaire which faces the Louvre museum. e decoration and the waiters give these restaurants a unique and timeless personality. I have to say that I’m also a big fan of Italian cuisine, and that’s why Grazie and Professore restaurants, both owned by my son Julien, make me really feel at home with their great quality ingredients and delicious pizzas. My number one restaurant in Paris though is without a doubt Septime! Bertrand Grébault is such a talented chef and éo Pourriat a fantastic maître d’hôtel. It is like having a gastronomy lunch in a warm dining setting and for a very reasonable price. By the way, the same team just opened a modern seafood tapas bar called Clamato next door to Septime. So delicious!

Which are some of your favourite cultural places? We are so spoiled in Paris with many beautiful places, from classic to more contemporary venues. Everyone can nd an amazing cultural place in Paris to suit their mood, such as the Louvre , the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Centre Pompidou , Palais de Tokyo, the Maison Rouge and Le 104 arts center.

If you had to pick someone that you think represents Paris the best, who would it be? Without hesitation, I would say Isabel Marant, as she is my favourite fashion designer! She embodies the best of the Parisian woman’s style; young, modern and very stylish. She became very successful thanks to her enormous talent, her sense of creativity and her perseverance.

If you had to describe Paris for someone coming to the city for the rst time, what would you say? First of all, I would say that Paris is the only major capital in the world that has a human size (as opposed to NYC, London, Tokyo which are so big). It has a very unique morphology, being round and small, where you can walk from one side of the city to the other, discovering so many museums, landmarks, stores and districts which showcase a large diversity of styles and cultures. In summary, I would say that Paris is the world capital of art and shopping, no doubt!