Wrapped in cotton
September 28th, 2009 | Published in Features, Interviews, Life & Culture | 1 Comment
Alexa Meresse carrying her son in one of her wraps
Rebecca Marcenac of Grenoble Life meets Alexa Meresse, founder of Colimaçon et Compagnie, a local business selling made-to-measure baby carriers.
by Rebecca Marcenac
With my two-month old daughter pushing towards five kilos and my arms sore from carrying her up and down two flights of stairs in her carrycot, we took off one scorching hot Grenoble summer morning for the slightly cooler heights of Herbeys in Belledonne to meet Alexa Meresse, founder of Colimaçon et Compagnie, and to purchase a made-to-measure wraparound baby carrier.
An entrepreneur and mum of two, Alexa sells and produces beautifully coloured wraps from her home, where she also has a workshop. On arrival, Alexa pulled out colourful wraps from a hidden chest under her sofa and proceeded to show me three wrapping techniques. My daughter, who had made friends with Alexa’s demonstration doll, protested at first, but soon settled and seemed at least as happy as I was. We then went up to the workshop where I selected my material. We worked out the perfect length for my wrap and chatted away while Alexa sewed my wrap. Here’s what she had to say.
Rebecca Marcenac: Where did the idea to make and sell wraparound baby carriers come from?
Alexa Meresse: Shortly after my first son was born, I wanted to carry him in a wrap. I bought one over the Internet from a maman couseuse (mum who manufactures baby items such as wraps, reusable nappies, bibs etc. from home and sell them on an ad hoc basis). I was very disappointed by the quality of the product and decided to make my own. Then I started making wraps for friends, for friends of friends … until one day I was contacted by health professionals. That’s when I thought ‘I should make a living out this!’ and took the leap and set up Colimaçon et Compagnie!
RM: What are the advantages of using a wraparound baby carrier for both the child and the parent?
AM: There are numerous benefits. For babies and toddlers, wraps are comfortable and respectful of their physiology: their neck is supported, and the natural curvature of the spine is respected (especially in newborns). It is like sitting in a chair – legs are on either side of the carrier – there is no weight on the sexual organs, only on the child’s thighs. Furthermore, carrying your baby in a wrap provides skin to skin contact. Curled up against mummy or daddy, the child feels secure and appeased. It is a fact that children carried in wraps cry a lot less than those who are not. Studies have also shown that babies who were frequently carried in a wrap from birth grow up to be children who are more serene, more independent and less prone to tantrums!
For parents, the major benefits are twofold. Wraps are both comfortable and easy to use. You can carry a 10-kilo toddler for several hours without feeling any discomfort, and once baby is in the wrap you can go about your daily business, be it housework, shopping, using public transport, but also hikes etc. Some parents even use their wrap at the seaside or at the swimming pool to gradually get their baby used to water.
RM: How did you go about starting your own business?
AM: I have a rather eclectic background. I have a degree in technical sales. After having worked for several years in the charity sector, I went on to work in communications at a blood transfusion centre. I was on parental leave making wraps for friends and relatives and started getting a reputation locally through word of mouth. I was then contacted by health professionals.
Shortly after going back to work, I was made redundant. It was at that point that I decided to have a go at creating my own business. I found two bodies in Vizille which support people who setting up their own business. They helped me create a business plan and generate financing. Then I had to have the wraps tested to meet European standards …
Setting up Colimaçon took a lot of work and energy. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult when I decided to launch my own brand!
RM: What challenges did you face?
AM: There were two big challenges. First, having the wraps tested in accredited testing laboratories to meet the European standards. The standards are drastic and we had to work on the mechanical properties of the material and compulsory labelling for the wraps to be validated.
All these tests, as well as setting up the website cost a lot of money. Banks are not so keen on financing such investments, especially as this was a particularly innovative project. So the second challenge was convincing the bank manager to lend us money!
RM: Where are your customers based?
AM: Most of our customers are based in France. That said, we do get orders from abroad. That’s why we have an English-language online catalogue and provide an English-language user’s guide upon request.
RM: How can our readers contact you to order a wraparound baby carrier?
AM: If you are ordering from France, you can order directly from our website (don’t forget to ask for our English language instructions if necessary!) If you live abroad, it may be easier to contact us directly by email with any queries.
Alternatively, if are a local and would like a baby carrying demonstration and a visit of the workshop in Herbeys, do contact us to make an appointment!
December 29th, 2009 at 5:13 pm (#)
What a fantastic success story! I wish I had known about your wraps when my daughter was a baby. Like Alexa, I ended up buying a wrap off the internet and being really disappointed in the quality, but I did not have the wherewithall to make my own!