With the surname of the great politician and poet of the Caribbean Aimé Césaire, Stéphanie Césaire from Martinique has found a way to reach for excellence in another type of art: that of luxury leather goods. She brings elements inspired by her island roots to her work, which is known for its originality and taste.

From Martinique, she inherited a taste for couture through her grandmother. An ancestral heritage that led her to fashion design studies at the Atelier Letellier in Paris, where her excellence won her the title of best student of her class. She then continued her learning process in prestigious Parisian leather goods houses such as Guy Laroche, Lagerfeld Gallery, and Kenzo.

Her know-how, connections, and accumulated experience with such prestigious institutions led her to create her own brand in 2007. And not in any setting: she established herself near the Concorde in the first arrondissement, the most luxurious district of the city. Today, Stéphanie Césaire continues to work with big names of Parisian leather goods such as Chloé, Nina Ricci, Albert Elbaz, or Karl Lagerfeld, while fully expressing her creativity through her own brand.

[. . .] Besides her own name, Caribbean flavor is very present in her work and creations. One sees this particularly in the models called “Grande Robe” and “Madras,” inspired by these pillars of Antilleans culture. We also find, among the people who model Césaire’s creations [well-known Martinican] swimmer, Coralie Balmy [shown with the “Grande Robe” bag in the photo above; “Madras” bags below.]

Although she has chosen not to reveal the names of all her most prestigious clients, the name of one of them, however, was ‘leaked’: the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. This name alone, associated with the seven-year history of the Césaire brand help to illustrate its success.

For full, original article (in French), see http://www.montraykreyol.org/article/african-strategies-stephanie-cesaire-la-martiniquaise-qui-a-conquis-le-milieu-de-la