Surf Madame is dedicated to women in love with the ocean and their special lifestyle. Here is a series of portraits of those true modern mermaids who made the ocean their playground and their inspiration. Surfers, creators and entrepreneurs at the same time, they are telling us their story and projects.
To start this series I would like to introduce Marguerite, a 23 years old mermaid living on Oleron Island, addicted to the ocean and creator of Marguerite swimsuits, made in a trailer on her island.
Marguerite
” My name is Margot Cocquet but everybody calls me Marguerite. I am stylist textile designer and I am passionate about the ocean.”
“Fashion has been a part of me for a long time. My mother went to a fashion school in the 80’s. She gave me that taste for clothes design. After high school graduation, I went to a fashion school in Paris called Lisaa. Lisaa allowed me to find myself and to combine my two passions, ocean and fashion. Hence the swimsuits. I remember when I was a kid the wetsuits for girls were black, dark. Today I want to draw surfsuits with colors and patterns. Give elegance to women surfers.“
“My first inspiration is the old. The old swimsuits with retro cuts and designs. I also take my inspiration from old movies, cartoons, at the moment I love to watch old Betty Boop episodes. I also get inspired by other artists. I love Hockney’s painting or Tyler Spangler’s work.”
“My dad is crazy about surfing and pirogue. He gave me his passion through travels we did when I was a kid with my parents, Tahiti, Hawaii, California, Las Vegas. This is where my passion for the ocean comes from. Surfing for me today is a sport that allow me to have fun in the water with the people I love. Just telling to myself “Come on we’re going in the water all together at the sunset”.”
Albertine
“I did my final internship at Albertine. Albertine is a swimwear brand based in the basque country. I loved working for Albertine because it is a small family company with true values. The two sisters Caroline and Anémone let me draw a mini collection of surfsuits. Today those pieces are available on their e-shop. It is amazing for me.”
You can find Albertine surfsuits designed by Marguerite on albertine-swim.com
“As for me I continue to create my own swimsuits. I draw, produce, sew in an old trailer on Oleron Island. It allows me to continue to create and to show what I do. I share my creations a lot on social networks like Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr. It is like my book. I don’t have an e-shop yet. But I sell some of my swimsuits sometimes. Girls contact me via Facebook or Instagram.”
Margarette
I also work on an other project with my dad, Margarette. Margarette is a trailer where we sell old clothes and items. We bargain-hunt, we find, we are having fun. Margarette is wandering, we go here and there. In June we will be at the Wheels and Waves in Biarritz. Some of my swimsuits will be available at Margarette.”
“In a few months I plan to go to Australia for a year. The occasion for me to meet other swimwear brand, to discover other landscapes and mainly to surf. Travelling again but my boyfriend this time.”
To follow or contact Marguerite :
Photos © Surf Madame
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