SIXSŒURS: Made in Family, Made in Paris

A family story

A native of gentle Normandy, Madeleine Ably finds her inspiration in her family history. Since early childhood, textiles and crafts have run through her veins, as she emotionally confides: "I've always had a passion for fabric, materials, spools, machines...".Born into a large family, Madeleine was surrounded by 5 little sisters and a seamstress mother of infinite talent. "My mother had set up a workshop in the middle of the living room where she made clothes with her daughters on her lap. I grew up in clothes, even as a little girl I was already accumulating tons of fabric and having fun dressing my sisters." Her inspiration is also rooted in the flea markets and garage sales she explored alongside her mother. It was in this atmosphere imbued with creativity and nostalgia that she developed her passion for vintage, textures and the richness of the handmade.

Alongside her sister Suzanne, the SIXSŒURS adventure began to take shape. Together, they decided to sell vintage pieces online, and as a family, made bags from salvaged leather garments. "Back then, it was family-run and very artisanal" recognizes Madeleine.The demand was there, but the business model was running out of steam, with one-off pieces requiring too much work. So she explored new horizons: "alongside this project, I started making clothes and we set up a sewing workshop with some friends. Very quickly, I realized that my pieces had a certain success with my girlfriends and on the street". It was quite naturally, with the help of her designer Christine, that she decided to launch her first collection of Blazers, pieces she is particularly fond of.

The project is launched and the SIXSŒURS clothing line officially sees the light of day in 2016. A new blank page to write and an exciting challenge to take up! The beginnings are modest, with Madeleine and her team doing everything themselves, from the first sketches to the final sewing. "There were times when we found ourselves in my living room cutting batches, sewing and assembling pieces ourselves" she recalls. Rolls of fabric travel on Madeleine's bike, illustrating her total determination and passion for design.

Local first

The designer of SIXSŒURS has a strong desire to make locally. "Manufacturing in France is part of the fulfillment of creating my collections. It also gives us a flexibility that we don't have when we produce far away. For me, it's essential in my approach to proximity to be at the heart of the product and the material.". The choice of workshops is then made through meetings and discussions with the garment makers.

Today Madeleine is proud to work with two Parisian garment making workshops, each recognized for their exceptional savoir-faire and for their many collaborations with renowned designers.

For her, the partnership relationship with the ateliers is crucial: "it's almost like family, they're a key link in the business and without them, we wouldn't be able to ensure our productions."She spends a lot of time with her manufacturers and exchanges daily with them, to ensure that the finishing and cutting are up to her high standards. Julie, the manager of one of these two workshops testifies: "There's a real human relationship that's been created, she's become a friend, I can tell her if something's not right or if I have an idea. It's not just a production job."

However, entrepreneurship is not without its challenges. Stress and the unexpected are omnipresent, but for Madeleine, that's where the passion lies, the will to solve problems and find solutions. For this, she can count on the unconditional support of her husband and partner Mathias Abiker.

Creation and commitment

The designs and prototypes are created in the Paris studio. "We work a bit like in a Haute Couture atelier, we do all the patternmaking by hand" explains Madeleine. SIXSŒURS offers two collections a year and capsules (around 120 designs) with a commitment never to run sales. "I do a little restocking from time to time, but I definitely don't want to have a sale. Firstly, I don't have the margins to do so, prices are set fairly and we only produce what we're sure to sell. Today, I consider it inconceivable to take the risk of unsold stock for a potential extra profit."

For Madeleine Ably, Made in France is entirely possible. "You have to work hard on your project and make the product desirable. Move forward quietly, without launching into large quantities to begin with, and above all humbly test your product on as many people as possible to find out if it appeals."

Beyond design, Madeleine Ably aspires to educate people to buy locally, support the French economy and encourage ethical production. For the past 4 years, the SIXSŒURS brand has held the "Fabriqué à Paris" label, and has just won first prize for Fashion and Accessories from the Mairie de Paris. Among her projects, she hopes to open a new boutique while keeping her collections moderate in size. Currently supported by the Talents acceleration program of the Fédération Française du Prêt-à-porter Féminin, she looks to the future with confidence, true to her values of authenticity and commitment to French manufacturing.

Find SIXSŒURS on www.sixsoeurs.fr and in its boutique 20 rue de Lancry, 75010 Paris.