Courtesy of Cheyma
Despite being entirely made-in-France, up until last week, Cheyma never had a sales point in the country. Thus, Cheyma ben Hassine, the Tunisian designer behind the eponymous Parisian label, decided to launch her own boutique in the French capital. The new flagship, which opened its doors during Paris Fashion Week, joins the growing list of Cheyma’s international outposts currently operating in Dubai, Riyadh, London, Boston, and New York. Indeed, the brand is ready to bring its feminine North African sensibility to the rest of the world, starting with its new flagship in Paris. “We are looking into expanding the presence of the brand worldwide,” explains ben Hassine to Vogue.me, listing Europe, the Middle East, and United States as the primary focus.
The new boutique, which is situated in one of Paris’s oldest neighborhoods, 10 Rue des Bernardins in the fifth arrondissement, is a perfect encapsulation of the brand’s feminine and playful spirit. Boasting cotton candy-colored walls and custom-made whimsical decor, the flagship lives in a centuries-old concrete building, and certainly stands out against its historical surroundings. The boutique will house the brand’s latest Spring 2019 collection, in addition to a brand-new line-up of leather goods expected to launch next season.
Courtesy of Cheyma
It’s been quite the journey for ben Hassine, who launched her eponymous label three years ago. The Tunisian-French designer is on a mission to forge an entire empire on her own, though she credits her mother for helping her discover an interest in fashion. “When I was a baby, my mom used to study law for hours and needed me to be calm and quiet next to her. So she would give me pencils to draw to keep me busy,” recalls ben Hassine. “I started drawing before I could even walk.” As she got a little older, she would go into her mom’s makeup bag for lipsticks to draw on the walls. But instead of being scolded for ruining their furniture, her parents actually pushed her to follow her passion.
The designer went on to study political science at Sciences Po Paris, business at the University of Pennsylvania, and arts at Bryn Mawr College. It was during her time at the latter where she landed her first fashion internship with Lacoste. The internship led her to brief stints at Dior and Chloé, where she got to sharpen her design skills. “I started working for Christian Dior Couture at the women’s ready-to-wear department, where I got the privilege to study trends and document them for the whole team. Dior taught me how to trust my gut and express my creativity. And at Chloé, I worked in the leather goods department,” she explains. The inspiration to launch her very own label came from witnessing Bill Gaytten, John Galliano’s former assistant, and his team at work. “I was in awe by the fact that ideas and sketches could turn into something real and tangible that humans were actually going to wear. This is when I realized that I too wanted to see my paper dolls come to life.”
Courtesy of Cheyma
The result is a whimsical feminine brand, that aims to create sophisticated clothing without compromising comfort. “Cheyma is for fun and easygoing women. They’re not afraid to sit on the grass wearing big, tulle dresses or eating a plate of spaghetti in a silk, white shirt,” she says of the women who inspire her.
Her designs are also heavily influenced by her North African roots. Think turquoise shades that paint the ubiquitous studded, wooden doors found throughout Sidi Bou Said and oversized shapes and silhouettes that represent the traditional Tunisian Sefseri. “In the past couple of years, I’ve been traveling in and out of Algeria, where my husband works, and I use these trips to recharge my creativity,” she explains. Indeed, the brand makes a point of shining a light on the creatives and landscape of the Maghreb. That’s why she shot one of her first collections in the mountains of L’Assekrem in the Algerian Sahara. “I just want to promote North Africa’s talents and way too often underrated beauty.”
