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Marie Marquet – The Day I Fell in Love…

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PHENOMENAL FASHION

Marie Marquet – The Day I Fell in Love…

You’ve got it, our latest issue is all about LOVE. The greatest theme of all times, right? We decided to turn to the fashion industry’s very best to find out what gets their heart beating that little bit faster… and their answer may be surprising. First up, Marie Marquet, founder of fashion brand MiniMe Paris, tells us all about her childhood passion for Barbie dolls… and how it started her whole career!

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Do you remember the moment your passion started?

I was surrounded by Barbie dolls from a very young age. I grew up with them in a magical world. When I was 8, my mother taught me to sew and I made dresses and accessories for my Barbies which I then sold to local shops, once they were dressed in the most improbable of outfits. It was “mini haute couture”!

What drew you to this specific thing?

The Barbie phenomenon has always fascinated me, she’s a real commercial icon! She embodies so many fantasies and reflects our society, she changes alongside it since her creation in 1959. You can see it in her body, the different jobs she can do, her style… I actually chose her as a subject for my baccalauréat, The evolution of women seen through the Barbie phenomenon. I got 19 out of 20!

Three adjectives to describe the way it makes you feel?

Passion, dreaming, magic… These are also key words today in my job for my brand MiniMeParis.

How has this passion changed your life?

It was more than a change, it was a shock! I was a fan of Chloé by Phoebe Philo. When I was 13, I refused to do my end-of-school internship at my parents’ company, so I sent pictures of the clothes I created on my Barbie dolls to the Chloé studio. The pictures now make me smile, the dresses were made of bits and pieces. And they took me! My career started thanks to them.

Your favourite memory?

Recently I was lucky to be transformed into a Barbie for a special photoshoot with photographer Victor Matussière. By transposing a portrait of me and a photo of one of my Barbies, we created a “Mini Barbie Me” !