How do you get started in modeling?
I was 16 years old and I was walking around Paris, in Châtelet. I had no interest in fashion at first. A modeling agent, Eric Sposito, who is now a friend, approaches me in the street to offer me modeling and leaves me his business card. I was then a geek, rather shy and often behind my computer. After discussing it with my parents and verifying that the agency was serious, I started casting. In the end, I participated in several Fashion Weeks, in Paris and Milan, and showed for Louis Vuitton at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Wasn’t it too hard to pursue this career while studying?
Juggling between the two was not easy. For example, I was asked to appear in an advertisement for a Cacharel perfume. This represents several hundred thousand euros over three years. Unfortunately, the filming which was to take place in Algeria was postponed by a few months, and finally took place in Mexico. However, this fell during my preparatory class exams for which I had been working for two years. But I have no regrets today. I was already aware that I didn’t want to pursue my career in fashion.
Why did you turn to entrepreneurship?
Fashion is a very tough environment. The casting directors can call you at 11 p.m. to take you across Paris in 20 minutes and do another fitting. You can also wait several hours on stairs to go through a casting session of a few minutes. It is sometimes borderline in terms of respect for the person. I think that this influenced my desire, right after my engineering school, not to join a large group or a firm.
“Modeling pushed me to start my own company. I wanted to be in control of my decisions.”
I no longer wanted to be a simple pawn performing like a model. Modeling inspired me to start my own company. I wanted to be in control of my decisions. And today, I remain convinced that it was a good decision. Especially when I see former school colleagues who have joined large groups, but who are today in the midst of existential questioning.
At 28 years old, you are the head of a company of 10 people. Do you draw parallels between fashion and entrepreneurship?
Fashion remains an above-ground environment. The parallels are not necessarily simple. But in both worlds, I will remember that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. A model avoids relying on a single brand or a single casting director. You have to know how to knock on all doors to open as many as possible.
For the development of Eclore, we are following the same strategy. We don’t rely on just one big account. Manufacturers often have very long decision and validation times. Thanks to this strategy, and after a year and a half of marketing our bellows, we have identified several industrial niches where our protective bellows would have its place. For example, it increases the lifespan of Scara-type industrial robots (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm, Editor’s note). This represents an annual global market of 300 million euros. Today, we are looking to raise three million euros to have a first manufacturing line for our standardized bellows, and thus meet future demands.
What skills do you keep from modeling?
In fashion, it is more than essential to keep your head on your shoulders and not get excited. When you come out of a Prada fashion show, several dozen girls are waiting for you. But two streets further, you have to realize that you are no one anymore.
“When you’re a model, you have to know how to prioritize, which taught me a lot in terms of organization for my business”
I was able to parade in front of Will Smith or take photos with Paolo Roversi, a renowned Italian fashion photographer. But if you don’t keep a cool head, your career won’t last. In addition, the days are intense, with potentially around twenty castings during the day. When you’re a model, you have to know how to prioritize, which has taught me a lot in terms of organization for my business.
Does modeling influence your management today?
I don’t think modeling allows you to lead a rewarding life: you are clearly seen as a portmanteau. I am of course trying to move away from it in the management of Eclore. I give the specifications, but I listen to what comes back from my colleagues. I leave large degrees of freedom and the possibility of making decisions also to my colleagues.
