It is one of the faces of Lorient commerce which is preparing to lower the curtain, Isabelle Cambre puts an end to 19 years of commerce in Lorient, by closing, the week of February 1st, her store Je suis une princesse, place Alsace-Lorraine . The cell will be collected by the neighbor, the Courir store. “I've been thinking for two years, we're still learning but I think I've done the trick. I went through the crisis of 2008, the Covid, I think I am reaching the end of this beautiful story,” explains the 43-year-old manager who is selling off stock at -50%.
From Coco Bongo to I Am a Princess
Originally from Riantec, she made her sales debut at Sports 2000 with Alain Le Brusq in Lorient and launched herself as an independent at not even 25 years old by opening the men's store Coco Bongo, rue des Fontaines. “There were few offers for men, we offered clothes for partygoers, we distributed t-shirts in nightclubs,” recalls Isabelle with a little nostalgia. The “we” includes her partner, Fred. Although she is alone at the helm of her business, he has always supported her and encouraged her in her development. Like when Coco Bongo became Je suis une princesse, moving from men's ready-to-wear to women's fashion, “which I have learned to love over the years”, slips the boss. There were few multi-brand stores at that time and Isabelle Cambre left her mark. “Strong, favorite, original pieces. My collections have also evolved with me, with my age, with the feedback of customers. I am a princess led me to be me, more than the sales techniques learned at school.” Clients she has cherished throughout her years. “I became friends and went on vacation with some.”
I have two boys who were raised on the reserve, after two weeks of maternity leave they were with me at the store.
Full-time business owner and mom
Renowned for its frankness, advice and in-depth knowledge of its products, it was exported to Auray for two years and to Ploemeur, which closed last December, after seven years of rich activity. “Ploemeur has a great clientele who continue to consume in their community, that gave me great momentum,” recalls the manager. Pulling back the curtain on her activity pushes her to look back and take stock of two decades of energy-consuming entrepreneurship. “I have two boys who were raised on the reserve. After two weeks of maternity leave, they were with me at the store,” smiles Isabelle Cambre. She announced to her customers her upcoming departure and received goodbyes in return, thanking her “outspokenness, (her) positive side, the quality of the products”. Lorient was an “obvious choice” for her when she moved there 20 years ago.
-When it's time to leave, she's not sad, “even if I was a barnacle clinging to her rock, if I'm upset, I'm happy to stop.” Isabelle Cambre remains discreet about the rest of her career, she wants to “take the time. Here or elsewhere, we’ll see.”
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