Ouistitine: timeless toys

A seamstress mother and her daughter, juggling law school and pregnancy. And often, from a simple idea or a need, as personal as it may be, a project, a company is born: Ouistitine.

Initially, Camille, pregnant with her first daughter, simply wanted to create a little something.

The marmoset was born by asking its mother to develop a pattern.

“It started like that, from a personal project, the desire to create something. I had an old cashmere from my grandmother who had just passed away, so I felt like using that given the emotional baggage that came with it,” says Camille.

A family story

Her mother is self-taught. As a child, she sewed, knitted and embroidered with her mother. From there was born a passion that she put into practice daily, by sewing her own clothes, then by making Waldorf dolls for the shop La grande Ourse . With a background in photography, Camille had a certain aesthetic that she held dear and that she naturally incorporated into the business.

Together, mother and daughter design their products. If nothing predestined Camille to work with her mother one day, it is with pleasure that she sees this collaboration marked by transparency and respect. “It happened over time. Children change perspectives, they make you see time, your priorities and your goals differently,” explains the co-founder of Ouistitine.

Moreover, this family spirit is very present in the workshop which can accommodate Camille's children without embarrassment. This mix of generations is also reflected in the company's clientele: “it's fun to see that we manage to reach many ages. From the children who have the toys to the grandparents who are touched to rediscover this sensitivity and this emotion that they found in their own childhoods. It creates a bridge between the generations, then everyone comes together. ".

Sleek and timeless toys

This intergenerational bridge is possible, according to Camille, thanks to the refined and timeless aesthetics of her toys. Unconsciously, Ouistitine has carved out a place for itself in the minimalist movement. Camille really wanted to create a toy that everyone could enjoy: parents, children and grandparents. According to her, “the child can also appreciate a certain aestheticism”.

"Given the quality of the wool and the fibres, the toys can be given from generation to generation", explains the young designer for whom the environment is an unconditional value. Moreover, their toys made of wool are even compostable.

The love of fibers and second lives

Fiber lovers, Camille and her mother could not imagine going for anything other than natural fibers: "Basically, it was obvious for us to use what we already had, it started with a cashmere belonging to my grandmother. Why does a good quality cashmere stay in the bottom of a trunk? ". Enthusiasts of the zero waste movement, they don't see the point of going new and creating new lengths of fabrics when there is quality in what is not used in fabric scraps.

In addition, Ouistitine collaborates with various designers to recover linen scraps. In this way, a lot of waste is avoided and it gives a second life to scraps of fabric in perfect condition. However, Camille specifies that it adds challenges since it is then not possible to predict the quantities of patterns and colors. The collections are thus constantly renewed.

For the designer, there is an awareness to be made in relation to consumption, their catalog being limited. For example, unique pieces are reserved for living rooms.

Organic creation

Camille describes her creative process as organic. It is according to her desires and inspirations that she creates. It is with an idea in mind that she then explains it to her mother who is working on the feasibility of the pattern, the more technical side and the way to sew the toy. After a few prototypes, depending on what they like, the two designers can then produce their toys for sale.

Camille relies heavily on her instincts and her creativity, which are rarely wrong.

In the end, she hopes to create more puppets that she particularly likes for the possibilities of interactions between the child and the parent. She therefore wants to develop more characters and possibly offer other products.