Meeting with Marjorie / the [kaban]

Sep 29 2024

In 2019, Marjorie presented me with her beautiful Family Concept Store project based in Switzerland, focused on sustainable and responsible consumption. Seduced by my creations, while her concept convinced me, we forged a harmonious partnership between France and Switzerland.

Can you tell us how the idea for your store came about and what your journey was to make it happen?

Hélène and I (Marjorie) have been friends since our watch design school. We followed the same path and worked for 10 years in watchmaking. Afterwards, we wanted a professional change and to highlight our ecological values.
We were young mothers and quickly noticed that the shops in our town did not offer the possibility of discovering pretty family and childcare brands.
The idea germinated for a few months before we decided to open a boutique and an e-shop which would become our new baby!
The [kaban] (hut in phonetic language) was born!

How would you describe the style and aesthetic of your store, what are your main sources of inspiration?

One of the first things we did was to put our concept down in black and white. We then decided that the brands and objects offered at [kaban] would all be made in Europe and with a neat and timeless design. We wanted a unique concept in Switzerland!

We also wanted to offer a warm and friendly welcome , we like the idea of "receiving" our customers and making them feel good at home. Soft colors, wood, beautiful fabrics make up the shop and all the objects chosen with care.

If your store had a musical theme, what would be the ideal soundtrack?

I love Angus and Julia Stone... lovely gentle strolls to accompany customers around the shop.

If you could invite any artist or designer, living or dead, to a creative workshop in your shop, who would you choose and what would you create together?

As a designer, I would really like to call upon an iconic designer to co-create an object. Of course I think of the Eames couple and particularly of Ray Eames, a talented female designer.

Can you tell us about a particular project or collection that you are particularly proud of, and why?

We have just finished our first collaboration with a young Swiss brand, Joli Nous. We have co-created an exclusive fabric for an XL diaper. So happy to discover it in real life and to offer it to our customers! We chose to offer a diaper because it is an essential for parents, a must-have.

What is the weirdest or funniest request a client has made of you, did you take up the challenge?

I sometimes have customers who are accompanied by friends. They see their friend flashing on an item without daring to buy it... they then ask me to wrap it and pay for it discreetly to then offer it to their friend. Emotions guaranteed!

What challenges have you faced as a designer and owner of a home decor store, and how did you overcome them? What advice can you give to those who want to start their own business?

It's a lot more work than you can imagine. You now have to do 1000 jobs at once! It's exciting but also exhausting. So you have to know how to prioritize well, be curious, want to train and not be afraid to work in the evening once the children are in bed ;)

Come and discover the world of La [kaban]
The online store
His Instagram account