Le Début

Le Début

Years ago we met our muse, Mireille, in pursuit of learning the French language.

After decades in the fashion industry and countless trips to French-speaking countries (where we didn’t speak a word), we decided it was time to learn. On our quest to attain fluency we discovered “French in Action”, a quirky 52-episode television series from the 1980’s shot on location in the Latin Quarter of Paris, France. Immediately, we were hooked. Not only was this a romantic comedy filmed entirely in French with the goal of immersing the viewer in the language, it was also a reminder of all the things we knew and loved about fashion and its icons when we were growing up in the 80’s.

There she was, a beautiful girl in a red skirt, natural, her hair in an easy ponytail. She was athletic. She loved to be outdoors and she had interesting hobbies that she pursued with enthusiasm. She was studying Italian and art history at the Sorbonne. Walking was her transportation, and on her walks she met up with her friends, family and of course admiring men. She received them all the same way, with a wry smile and an infectious sense of humor. Her clothes were all a part of this. They were fabulous, but not contrived, memorable but practical and most of all they were athletic and elegant, très sportive, très élégante.

This brought us back. It reminded us of our own icons. We began reminiscing about fashion and our favorite pieces and brands from the 1980s. Women’s clothing was different. Clothing fit differently. It was a time before vanity sizing was invented as a marketing ploy to get sales conversion. It was when a pattern maker and tailor were part of the fit process to ensure clothes fit properly. Dressmaker details, or the inside of the garment were as important as what was on the outside and it was why these clothes exuded an attitude and personality. It is also why many of these items from the 1980s can still be found today.

Most importantly, it was a time when clothes made you feel happy. These clothes wanted you to go out, they wanted you to pursue your hobbies...and your dreams. They wanted to help you be athletic and elegant, très sportive, très élégante.

From there the conversation began to grow into an idea, what if we created a brand that brought back this time and all its glory? Of course, we would have to start with Mireille’s iconic red skirt and white top! But it is more meaningful than just the outfit. We started by watching the 52 episodes of French in Action over and over and over and sketching clothing pieces we liked. We went to Paris and scoured the vintage markets for clothing from the 1980s, (merci beacoup Madame Jalouse). We laughed as we held up pieces and asked each other, “would Mireille wear this"...still not sure if this was really going to be something or if we were just having fun.

Then something wonderful happened, people started showing up to help. After 20+ years in the fashion industry we are blessed to know so many talented people. It was the efforts of these great people that helped move Le Mireille Marche forward and make It real.

We hope you love our clothes as much as we do. We hope they make you happy, we hope they make you smile, and we hope you find that our brand has a little sense of humor. Most of all we want you to feel très sportive, très élégante when you are walking (or running) around wearing our brand.

And for anyone interested in watching French In Action, it is available on PBS, YouTube and many other platforms.

À bientôt