Editor's letter: join the wet girls club
Words by Marine Neuilly
Hi there,
Welcome to this blog.
I am very excited to share some big news here :)
I’ve been doing some thinking lately about the future of the brand, social media, and how can we still enjoy ourselves in such a weird time?
I feel we are entering a new digital era that questions a lot of things such as: how free are we to really communicate on Instagram right now? And what if we don’t want to play with this new dictator that is the algorithm?
That is the reason La Chatte de Françoise is finally launching a very cool Newsletter & Podcast as I want to find a better way to connect with our community and build something different from what it is now. It’s kind of like being part of a secret club *only for cool girls.
Let’s go back to where it all started. Ten years ago, in Summer 2012, I signed up to my first blog (Tumblr) and the name La Chatte de Françoise came along as a great title for it. Which is, by the way, the question I get asked the MOST: Why did you pick that name? Who is Françoise?
I guess it’s not unusual that we are celebrating the birth of La Chatte de Françoise by making a new announcement here.
I was a massive fan of Tumblr. This platform was an amazing way to connect with people having the same lifestyle & tastes all around the world. I remember following lots of upcoming female artists like Petra Collins or Tavi Gevinson, listening to girlbands like Dum Dum Girls, Bleached or Cherry Glazerr.
“I felt it was a safe place for young girls to hang out without showing your face.”
The content that was uploaded was more meaningful but at the same time it could mean nothing but a good visual that would define your mood. You could understand and feel closer to strangers rather than your actual friends.
I was using that name (La Chatte de Françoise) for my DJ sets & parties in Paris. I would use Facebook to promote it and share some visuals about strong women showcasing their femininity. It’s a very feminist name!
When I got asked to DJ for le Prix de Flore in 2013 with my old friend Lou Lesage, I thought it would be funny to have a t-shirt that would visually show the name as if it was a fancy literary prize event.
After a while, I created the Instagram account… and I started reposting the content I had from Tumblr on it (which is sort of funny to be back on a blog today after ten years on Instagram). “La boucle est bouclée” as we say in french!
It’s only later, at the end of 2015, that the first pantie was actually created from a collaboration with Agathe Rousselle’s embroidery brand Cheeky Boom. I did not have any money to invest in my own brand, so I thought that the best way to start would be by contacting brands who shared similar values and proposed a collaboration together.
“I was unconsciously building the brand’s DNA and identity for all these years…”
By the end of 2018, after getting started with many different collaborations, the brand officially launched its first capsule collection at the French department store Galeries Lafayette in Paris. It was like getting an internship that accelerated me into the fashion industry. Suddenly, I found myself sitting at the adult table completely unprepared. So, I worked really hard to keep up and achieve it all.
“I became so focused on making the perfect sustainable panty that I kinda got lost along the way… I almost forgot about the brand’s essence, what it stands for, and the story that I am telling.”
So, what have we learnt from this flashback?
To answer the question… what is La Chatte de Françoise?
It’s about exploring femininity and supporting women. It’s about providing a safe place for teenage girls who look up to us, listening to your younger & inner self that we mostly forget about. First and foremost, it’s about enjoying yourself.
So, I am thrilled to officially launch this new chapter as I have been working on some creative content to release weekly via this newsletter with the coolest female contributors. I can’t even wait to begin.
I hope you’ll get on board with us for some real cool time.
The only thing you have to do is subscribe, it’s easy right?
Miaou love,
Marine
ps: if there is any subjects you would like us to discuss or any ideas of content, please leave a comment below.
Yes!! So excited
So tired of instagram right now, can’t wait for more x