Crisoline de Gastin, creator of Balzac Paris. “We’ll never be perfect as we make clothes, but we’re always in the dynamic of doing better.”

In 2011, a fashion-loving girl noticed a high demand for butterflies. Chrysoline de Gastines decided to turn it into a small business called Balzac Paris. Three years later, with her husband Victorien de Gastines and her brother Charles Furmeaux, her brand evolved into ready-to-wear. Her signature, which combines responsible fashion and trendy pieces, manages to touch the hearts of French women. Then the English, the Belgians, the Swiss… before hitting the Americans with an arrow. In 2024, the Balzac Paris leopard print is still going strong and sales continue to grow, reaching 20 million in 2022, an increase of around 20% each year. It’s rare in this period that French ready-to-wear has weakened after the pandemic. To celebrate her brand’s 10th anniversary, Chrisoline de Gustins shares with us her secrets to success and her top tips for doing business with peace of mind.

Madame Figaro . – Your first commercial product was a butterfly. Why this accessory?
Gastin’s chrysoline. – In 2011 it was growing and the online offering was pretty bad. So we set out to answer the request with this accessory. Very often it was for weddings, and I took care of making style suggestions. Hence the name of the brand. Honore de Balzac was a fashion lover and in 1830 A treatise on elegant living in which he talks about the bow tie.

Ten years later, Balzac continues to grow in popularity and circulation. What accounts for its success?
In 2014, we were the first French brand to rhyme “responsible” with “desirable”. Balzac’s community has also always been at the heart of our concerns and is part of our brand’s success today. Very often we ask customers about their desires, they are really actors in their consumption. Finally, a very strong look. At Balzac we have big collars, leopard print… Elements that have forged the DNA of the brand and that we immediately recognize on the street.

Ten years after its creation, can we still be surprised?
With my partners Charles and Victorien, we are self-taught. I came from the press, from the Marie Claire group. Obviously, I discovered a lot going into the heart of the reactor, in the way of making the product, sourcing the materials. Today I am learning a lot about the innovative part, responsible fashion. Especially on a skin that offers new stuff. We never run out of surprises. Especially since Balzac is a curious brand that looks for new trends.

Do better, less and fairer, that’s how you define your mantra. How did you build it? What sparked your interest in responsible fashion?
My strong beliefs, and beyond that, a way to differentiate myself from the competition. We will never be perfect as we make clothes, but we are always in the dynamic of doing better. We’ve partnered with Surfrider (a non-profit organization specializing in ocean protection, Editor’s Note) in 2021 by launching a sweatshirt that was a phenomenal success. We are Surfrider’s most important partner to date. We also work with Emmaüs, La Cravate Solidaire, La Soupe Saint-Eustache…

You are also a mother of three children. How do we balance family life and business life?
Every working mother faces a conflict between work and personal life one day. There is no miracle recipe. At first it was more intense because there were few of us. Then, over the years, Balzac grew up, roles were distributed so that everyone could gain autonomy. We will say that I am organized above all else.

French ready-to-wear is in trouble today. How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
I sincerely believe that responsible dynamics and authentic values ​​are an integral part of the answer. With Covid, people have made giant strides and fashion has had to move the lines. The consumer has become more educated, which means that at Balzac, for example, we have QR codes on our clothes to understand where the piece is from. Transparency with customers is key. We also have a “second life area” on our website, so the customer sees the value and understands that the product they are buying has the potential to have a second life after all. It is a true virtuous circle around a brand built by the sweat of our brow. It’s hard to go back today if you haven’t done it in the first place…

What advice would you like to give to the new generation to start a business?
To surround you well. Finding suppliers at the beginning of building a business is difficult. Surroundings aren’t everything, but it’s good to have mentors. You always have to keep some humility to know how to challenge yourself, to have brands that make people’s everyday life easier, to be sensitive to the consumer because they actively participate in the company’s success. People speaking about brands on social media is extremely important and we should never forget that.