Interview with Servane of Servane Barrau Designs

This week This is Boutique is very excited to present a fabulous and wonderfully inspiring interview with a doyenne of the Boutique Custom Community, our very own French connection, a true icon of our world, Miss Servane Barrau. In her days on ebay Servane was responsible for some of the most excting, cutting edge and just plain jaw dropping sets we’ve ever seen - a magical mix of design, fabric combination, quirky detail and superb presentation skills, Servane played a huge role in shaping the world of boutique custom. Now she has turned her hand to an everyday boutique line and the results are just as stunning.  Enjoy the interview and we’d love to hear your comments.  There is also a special offer for This is Boutique readers - please see the end of the interview for more details. Servane Barrau designs can be found here.

1. Servane, you are the Madonna of Boutique Custom, constantly finding new and creative ways to reinvent yourself - your new everyday boutique line is breathtaking in concept and design - can you tell us about yoru decision to offer an ‘everyday’ boutique line and a bit about how your new line will work?

Madonna ! Oh wow … Fortunally you have never heard me singing !
Well, I think that I’ve voluntarily based all my life on the renewing. To be honest I never finished high school and back then   everyone gambled zero cents on my chances of success. The only things that interrested me, when I was a teen, were the litterature and the cats ! Otherwise, no one understood me. I was a very “strange” kid … At this age you could compare me with Wednesday Adams, without the black spirit ! My philosophy has never be in correlation with my age, and from my yougest age, something lived in me : being different and never give up ! I‘ve always been involved in the lost causes, I was always trying  to change the course of the World, change some pieces of it to prove that our “size” doesn’t show the power we have. We all have this force in our sprit and body, ALL of us ! Thanks to my Dad I travelled a lot. Three times a year I discoverd a new country with its values and its differences. I think it was this discovery of the World that showed me everything is doable. I took it for experience and decided that my whole life would be based on the renewal and the “always higher” -that is, to  always aim to GO higher, not necessarily  to always BE higher - it’s very important to make the difference. At 13 years old, in a deep Maisaï village in Africa, I decided to steal some soaps at my hotel and bring them to the kids & Moms from the village … To thank me they gave me some wonderful bracelets, necklaces and jewels that I still keep after years … From this time I know that we can change the road of the things with just a little touch fo intelligence and compassion …
I’ve started from nothing in this hard Boutique Community -no sewing skill, no computer skill and no english skill (I should have been the “E-” of the classroom during my 4 years of english lessons !) - Okay some of these details still hard to get, like the fluent english, but I least I’ve worked hard on the rest ! But during all those 6 years I’ve never gave up. Always researching to bring something new, to share something incredible and to offer something Out Of The box.
At this time the skills are not important, just the conviction is !
Now that’s right, I’ve some excellent sewing & computer skills I just keep trying with the english, but this will be one of my last fights !
After some years at Ebay and in the Boutique Community, after have crossed the quitting of some beloved designer friends, after have lived through the crisis, after having said that I would better quit to be able to feed my family, after all those things, I am very happy to come back with a concept ! A concept that could fit anybody … Enjoy the Couture, enjoy the Boutique items but in the respect of our budget. At this time I think it’s important to respect the way of the things. We are all in a recession time but we still have wishes.  Life is to short to miss a inch of it … We have to face it and straight on ! My new boutique line is a perfect thumb one’s nose to the obviousness …
So from there, I will work on 2 boutique lines by year with 1 or 2 other surprise lines. Those collections are accessible, they are prices very reasonably and are bang on trend and that it is the goal ! Offering the boutique dream and accessibility to everyone!
The concept is mostly centered on the fact that each of us could afford some boutique outfits at an apropriate price and an oustanding customer service. When you received a Servane Barrau Designs, you immediatly know you have purchased some hight quality clothes. It will be packaged like in the hight trend Couture Stores and every detail is important. The packaging is deserving of the best Couture Store, some surprise items could be added to the order and every customer has a special personal voucher to use for some next purchase. Servane Barrau Designs presents the pleasure of the Height of Boutique Couture, without the hight price and the “budget customer selection” ! Eveyone can be a customer, and this is my goal …
I am working with colors, with fun ; in correlation with the kids World and my main goal is to keep the road of the childhood with all the sparkles & stars a little girl’s outfit needs …Servane Barrau Design is the place where every Mom feels comfortable and happy to please her delightful Princess … A simple place where dreams and wonders come true …

2. You worked with Jamie on the photography - when do you two first meet and what was it like to meet face to face?

Hummm … I would like to say that Jamie and I have known each other for  4 years by the web … So meet each other -in real- was not that “crazy” ! It was more like the continuity of a normal way… For sure we didn’t really know about us physically before, but the spirit was there at the first second and nothing can change this ! The only one thing that changed us, was the fact we couldn’t beleive we would be that much close on so much points - and mostly on spirit/appreciation to handle the life itself - We were already like sisters before the meeting, so now we could be like twins

3. How long have you been selling your gorgeous custom creations? Can you remember how you first stumbled across ’boutique custom’? Who were the big ebay sellers or groups when you first started out?

I have been selling  on Ebay for 6 years. I started in the south of France -My Roots- and ended here in Canada, Quebec, to be close to my customers. 100% of the reason for our family moving was for my job, I am very proud of this … This is very important for me to be closer to my customers. 6 years ago I was in the kitchen and my job called me to go back to work - i was manager of a photo laboratory - after 2 years of nursing my kids. I explained to my husband that i didn’t want to go back to my “past” and wanted to start designing clothes for kids even though  I didn’t especially sew, I didn’t know the web and I didn’t speak english but I wanted to get the American market because it was my dream to work in/for this country… We had $600 in bank at this time, nothing more … My husband was job-less … And believe it or not but he said me ‘Okay, if this is something you want to do, I trust you and let’s go !” … I spent the last $600 we have in sewing-machines and a couple of yards in recycled/used fabrics and I started. I worked 22h a day to learn how to sew by myself, I’ve probably hit all the forums on the subject and listed 3 weeks after : my very first set. I sold it for $25 and we open a bottle wine for the occasion !
At this time Jamie (JzCustoms) and Srann were burning the Custom Boutique World Floors … I was a zillion miles after ! But no matter, everyone has a chance ! And I got it !
My very first group was the Queen Bees. I loved so much this group ! Each of them was patient with me - so supporting with my broken english- and very helpful to guide me on each step of the Boutique Community.
4. You are such a wonderful Custom Boutique identity and a master of design - can you describe the birth of an outfit for us?

Designing is at each second of the life … The design can start from nothing … But honestly it starts generally from a song, a film, an image, a scene of life, or a sentence from my kids themselves … Then it is the broth in my head ! And I can be very bubbling sometimes ! But it often starts by a picture of the scene itself … I can see the photo of the outfit, with the pose, the light the colors and everything, and then I check on the fabrics and how I could make this pattern !

5. Since you started selling your boutique creations we have seen so many different trends - what are some that you remember most?
Probably the knot dress … I worked a lot with this pattern, with ruffles and everything and this is a pattern we see alot in a bunch of Boutique Sets… Otherwise, I think Srann changed the Boutique Community world with the twirly skirt ! I also probably add the “Japanese” touch … But we all have not explored all the function of this trend ! I would like to add that designing is not only based on the set you can make. JzCustoms put the level very high in photography and she was the beginning of the photography-designing, hear the designing by photography … She introduced the spirit through the design by her photography. The level never stopped to be high … Like I said it’s a perpetual renewal. You actually have to be great in the designing and in the photography, at this time, Ebay could be a very a hard place to start on when you were a simple beginner …

6. We thought we’d lost you for a while last year when you took a break from our crazy little world - how do you stay motivated when times are tough?

I said it : “NEVER GIVE UP!” …
If you think you have to recycle yourself into something else for a time because your family or yourself needed it, so do it … The future is always open to you ! Whatever you could wish in you future will be realised since you have the faith in you.

7. Out of all the outfits you’ve created do you have one or two absolute favourites
Probably the Harry Potter set … I was so in competition with the JzCustoms skills (always on a fun and professional way - Jamie was my mentor, she was always there to give me some tips and help me along the way at this time and my goal was to learn from her expertize. I was in heaven when she wrote me to let me know she loved the set AND the photos … It was probably my best moment ever !

8. With your new everyday boutique line keeping you busy will you still find time to create custom sets?
Yes … But only on some One Of A Kind sets and the theme has to be very challenging to work on ! My brain never stops … I have to fill this energy somewhere !

9. What can we expect in 2010 from this fab new everyday boutique line?
Probably more than you expect ! I am working mostly with my customers, so all their whishes will come true … Otherwise, I will use my force!

10. Anything else you’d like to include and any shout outs?

I just hope that all what I have said means something … Because in french is meaning that everyone is important and you have to never stop to beleive in yourself ! Each little thing you add in the World changes it obviously … Never forget you are the best thing God created, and YOU have the power ! Never stop to beleive ! Help the others, help yourself and create a wonderful World ! YOU have the power to change, so do it !!

“Ostinato, Rigore” … Leonardo da Vinci …

GIVEAWAY - GIVEAWAY - GIVEAWAY - GIVEAWAY - GIVEAWAY

Servane is generously offering  a FREE MATCHING ACCESSORY for all the ThisIsBoutique readers, no minimum order required. Readers just have to place their order and say “THIS IS BOUTIQUE” in the message box. A free surprise matching accessory will added to their purchase automatically ;)  How cool is that!!!!!!??????

Don’t forget you can shop for you Servane Barrau everyday boutique line right here

 Powered by Max Banner Ads