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You might ask yourself what is MAISON Guirec, what is the background story of this project, what are the main purposes, or who is behind this company. Rather than writing a traditional ‘à propos’ section, I chose to design this page as a conversation, a dialogue, in personally answering some of the questions I was often asked, since the creation of the house.
Guirec is my first name. It is a Celtic name, and it means ‘amber’. I was born in Saint-Brieuc, western France, in 1995. I did all my studies in Brittany, but I have also had the opportunity to study or work in Poland, Belgium, and Canada. These roots from Brittany compiled with international experiences made me realise that French Savoir-Faire is renown, that France has a rather good image abroad, but also that French companies sometimes struggle to settle in foreign markets.
I graduated in 2019 from SciencesPo Rennes, with a Master's Degree in International Affairs. Yet, as soon as in 2021, I decided to found my own business.
After I graduated in 2019, I have had the opportunity to work in Belgium and in Canada. As the pandemic started to spread around the world, I have had to leave Toronto in two days, unable to anticipate the end of this experience. Once back in France, I started a new job in Nantes, but this job also ended early also because of the pandemic. Twice in a row, I haven’t been able to control which path my life was going to take. That is why I decided to create my own company, to take back the control over my life, and to design my own future.
In 2013, I choose to study hard for the entry exam of Sciences Po, as I have always wanted to be useful to the others. People who know me well would probably tell you that I am naturally altruistic, and careful with others. I wanted this altruism to be turned into a professional career. So when I decided to create my own company, I wanted to build an association of skills. I was well aware that many women and men in France have amazing ideas and are very talented, but sometimes they don’t have all the tools or the knowledge to develop their projects as much as they would like to. This is where MAISON Guirec is useful, to help these women and men becoming more and more visible, and in doing so, bring to light French Art de vivre, through our Savoir-Faire.
The goal of MAISON Guirec is to sell partner brands in France and in some foreign markets. The markets that I have chosen to start with, Slovenia and Croatia, have been chosen carefully. Sure, these are small markets, but they are very rarely targeted by small French companies. It is a shame because the image of France in Slovenia and Croatia is very positive, they associate France with elegance, high quality, and exclusivity.
The aim of MAISON Guirec is to become a reference of where you can find high quality and exclusive French items, that embody our Art de Vivre.
First, I start with a basic task that is looking for brands on the Internet, on social networks, or using word of mouth. After that, I check that the brand manufacture is based in France, and that its values are coherent. It is not only about producing in France, but it also matters to me that the brands I am working with are eco-friendly, respect their workers, and are fully transparent. It is essential to create a virtuous dynamic, in which brands that have sincere values are promoted and put under the spotlight.
Finally, I am always very interested in meeting the founders of the brands I work with, or at least to call them as often as possible. It is very important to me to know who I am working with, to be sure that I contribute to a project I firmly believe in.