Ysé

Can you introduce Ysé to us in your own words?

CLARA : Ysé is a brand that I created in 2012, it's a lingerie brand that is our core business but we also offer a range of swimwear and a small wardrobe that goes with it, I like to say that Ysé is the entire wardrobe of intimates and its variations. The brand has evolved a lot, initially it was lingerie for small breasts, for A and B cups, why? I had the image of the woman who was in advertisements with very curvy bodies, we saw a lot of padded push-up bras as if the woman needed additional volume to feel seductive... At Ysé we immediately offered bras without underwire, I wanted neat lingerie, full of lace details, adapted to small breasts. Then we had a lot of requests from women who shared our philosophy, because our invitation to trust came through our products but also through our image. Today we go up to the E cup, the brand is much more inclusive!

What is your background, what led you to do this project?

CLARA Ysé is my entire professional life. I founded Ysé after graduating and have never done anything else. And why lingerie? Simply because I loved this product. For me, lingerie is a true fashion item and an integral part of my outfit.
Few brands at the time were making beautiful, unpadded designs at affordable prices. Also, I wanted to convey a real message to women. At the time, lingerie was primarily seen through the prism of seduction, whereas at Ysé, it was above all an accessory of self-confidence, which enhances, a way to perceive oneself beautifully.

What words best define you?

CLARA : It's not easy...I would say "plural." It's a word I use a lot at Ysé. We've also structured the annual events in this way: there's the Private Line to feel sexy, the Chic Underwear is elegance on the surface, and the Essentials are everyday pieces, to have a very comfortable daily life. I think that one and the same woman can wear everything and has several facets. I've never liked it when people say that Ysé is romantic and sweet; we are something else too, and a woman can embody several women.
Another word, I would say “free” too. The freedom to be versatile and to have self-confidence.

Are these words to define Ysé or you Clara?

CLARA : These are words that also reflect me. I've always put a lot of myself into Ysé, and I've always hated being pigeonholed, being pigeonholed. I was very young when I started Ysé, and every year it's a new chapter.
Ysé has grown as I have evolved too.

How does the creative process work at Ysé?

CLARA : We think about our creations over the course of a year. I really wanted to refine the structure of the collections we call our annual Rendez-vous. I didn't want collections that changed every month, but rather to build a drawer over a year with different facets. As a result, the Rendez-vous complement each other.
We have an appointment to feel sexier with the Private Line, then an elegant appointment with the Chic Underwear etc. The same goes for swimwear with a big launch called “Le Grand Bain” then the “Plage Privée” with fewer, slightly more daring models, more in the spirit of jeweled swimwear with lurex for example. I always do the first draft of this annual creative line in writing, with words. Then the stylist team puts this intention into sketches and we iterate.

How do you define the key prints of the season?

CLARA : Our biggest source of inspiration is vintage prints. We have an English supplier who hunts for vintage prints and obtains the rights to them. It's an incredible source from which you can dig, and honestly, everything is sublime; you really have to force yourself to choose. We also have an incredible resource in Anaïs, our style director, who paints. They also sometimes design the patterns, which are then authentic Ysé.

What is your current obsession?

CLARA : The 90s, hands down! We have a lot of images of Claudia Schiffer in our mood boards right now.

Do you buy vintage for yourself too?

CLARA : Yes, I also buy vintage pieces for myself, and honestly, I still mainly come to Imparfaite. I don't have time to go to all the thrift stores, and the most beautiful pieces are at your place. What I buy most in vintage are coats. They're the piece that stands out from the crowd and quickly adds style to an outfit. I have lots of jackets and coats, and I like to change them up seasonally depending on my mood.

Where does your love for vintage come from?

CLARA : From my mother, definitely. My mom was always very well-dressed and very sensitive about her outfits. I really like to remember images from my childhood when I buy vintage today.

What do you think about the carbon impact of the textile sector today?

CLARA : At Ysé, the desire to do well has always existed, from the beginning, but it wasn't called CSR at the time. Making this known, in complete transparency, to the customer is something that happened along the way. We've always imported locally, by truck and never by plane. It's always been common sense to me. For example, at the beginning, we didn't meet our suppliers' production minimums, so we used their offcuts, but we didn't call that upcycling at the time. We collected elastic, fabrics, everything from different suppliers and tried to match the colors of their dormant stocks.
Today we produce our materials, but growing up is also good, because as we grew up we were able to access materials that have less impact on the environment, labeled like lace made from Global Recycled Standard (GRS) fibers. In 2023, 86% of our products are more responsible, which means that their materials were sourced in France, are made from organic, recycled or sustainable fibers and are certified. The goal is to reach 90% by 2024.

How did you raise awareness among your team about these CSR issues?

CLARA : In all honesty, I didn't need to raise their awareness. Ysé is the spokesperson for a committed generation of women, very sensitive to ecology and the condition of women, which is also at the center of our history. We have these two very strong prisms at Ysé: ecology and the condition of women.
We have a person responsible for CSR at Ysé, which is rare for a small team. We have created a roadmap with three important agreements that bind us:

• First of all, the “climate and biodiversity pact” which commits us to reducing our impact on the environment, in particular by using materials with a lower impact on the environment throughout their manufacturing chain.

• The “circularity and sustainability pact” also, for which we have two main responses today. First, the revaluation of our fabric scraps to recreate new models. Then the revaluation of second-hand swimwear products through our “second life” initiative. Customers can bring their swimsuits back to the store and, with the women's rehabilitation association “Hawa au féminin,” we clean these pieces, make small repairs as well as embroider them to then resell them.

• Finally, the “social and societal pact,” through which we commit to auditing our partner factories and ensuring working conditions within these structures. In this pact, we are obviously very committed to women, who have been at the center of our commitments from the beginning. For example, we support the “Rêv'Elles” association, which allows young women to be mentored by members of the team to help them in their professional development.