This eco-responsible, eco-designed clothing brand dresses children aged 3 to 10 andin Mauritius.
Delphine Raimond
Approached by various French players in the online responsible clothing sector, founder Christel Dialava-Le Fèvre is proud to bring Mauritian know-how across the border. Her rich and atypical career path has always led her where her heart guides her, right up to the creation of Ti Matelot, when her son was born, because “it was almost impossible to find on the local market quality clothing in natural materials that respected children’s fragile skin”.
Sold exclusively online, the brand is doing very well and “people don’t hesitate to buy from abroad, even if they don’t see our products physically”. A solution has been found to the inherent question of carbon footprint, since Ti Matelot has a stock in France for shipments to Europe, limiting both the ecological problem, shipping costs and customs taxes, which are very high in Mauritius.
Ti Matelot works with a small clothing workshop in Coromandel, employing Mauritians in good conditions, and calls on freelance designers and pattern-makers, as well as women entrepreneurs to supply accessories, crochet and embroidery. The collections are mainly designed in linen – strong, resistant, hypoallergenic, antibacterial and 100% biodegradable – but can also be made in Oeko-Tex-certified cotton, for a more accessible budget. Today, Christel is aiming for GOTS certification, guaranteeing fashion that respects children’s health and the environment.
“A single annual collection is more than enough, because we think of timeless, modular garments that go beyond one season. We need to relearn how to consume a garment!”
