INTERVIEW #131 RISU RISU

Based in: Paris, France

Founded in: 2018 in France

Founded by: Camille Fleck

Stores: Physical store in Paris

Website: www.risurisu-paris.com

Price range: 30-150€

Instagram: risurisuparis

Hi RISU.RISU, welcome to A Sustainable Closet! Happy to have you here, tell our readers about RISU.RISU, who are you?

My name is Camille, mum to 6 children. As a family, we have always tried to adapt to a sustainable way of life because I consider that letting toxic substances surround young children is jeopardising their health while damaging the environment. That’s why we eat organic food, use natural detergents for the house and organic cosmetics, choose natural furniture for the house, and I used to buy only wooden toys for my kids. We try to avoid chemicals in our surroundings. That’s also why I wanted to dress them in organic clothes, paying attention to the dyeing, and I could not find any clothes that would meet my standards, especially for newborns! I could not imagine breastfeeding my babies without dressing them with absolutely nontoxic bodysuits.

That’s how I started RISU.RISU.

We have to say, the design of your baby and kids’ clothes is very appealing. How and where are the products produced, and who are your workers?

Thank you!

I strive to design comfy clothes, as a mom, I know how important it is…and as a French woman, I give much importance to elegance and style.

What are used and where do you source them from?

I choose every single fabric we use for the clothes. I have our own exclusive jersey knitted and dyed in Spain, it is GOTS certified as I feel confident with this strict ecological label. I only use organic-certified cotton for the non-woven fabrics as well. 100% of RISU.RISU clothes are made in North Spain and I go often to my 2 small workshops (in Barcelona and Catalonia).

Why is RISU.RISU a choice for our kids?

Protecting their health starts with what you put on the immature skin of a newborn, it is as important as what you give him to eat to my eyes. Since I create RISU.RISU clothes, from the fabrics to the buttons, I know what is in contact with the children’s skin, and I also know this is the least toxic possible for the environment. And of course, our health is deeply linked with the state of nature. Can you imagine that when you wear a so-called “fur” made from polyester you end up inhaling plastic micro balls? This is just what I’d like to alert the parents. When you wear toxic clothes, the chemicals can get into your body since the skin is not an efficient barrier.

Every single RISU.RISU clothes respect these rules: pure organic certified cotton, dyeing included, pure organic certified wool, made in Spain.

Where on the planet are your customers based?

In France, of course, but also in the US, Europe and Asia. We are sold in several American shops and want to partner with more Asian retailers.

What are your best tips to give children's clothes a longer life? 

When you buy a high-quality clothes, the logical is to take care of them thorough their life. Of course, I recommend to use a mild organic detergent and to avoid the dryer.

What have been and are the major challenges of starting RISU.RISU?

At that time, it was almost impossible to find organic fabrics and as a small brand, I could not have my own fabrics produced in an organic way. I was surprised to hear potential providers telling me that if I needed organic poplin or whatever, it was possible with big orders. I realized that big brands could easily be sustainable if they wanted to.

The second challenge was and still is the non-awareness of customers. Some people were laughing at me asking if organic clothes could be eaten. Now, some customers look for organic cotton clothes, but most of them do not understand what it means, and some brands use “greenwashing” to sell their clothes and pretend they are sustainable with only a few organic clothes in their collection or without asking ecological dyeing to their providers for example.

What has been and is the largest gain? 

I discovered that I really enjoy designing clothes, I discovered how joyful I am freeing my creativity.

This is a also a deep satisfaction to realize how many children wear RISU.RISU clothes and how I played a role in protecting their health, while being well dressed. Educating to beauty is also very important to my eyes. Fashion is not as futile as you could think at first sight.

What's up next, do you have anything fun to share with our readers?

Many mothers would like to wear RISU.RISU clothes and ask for a women’s collection! I understand them because the sensation you feel wearing this cotton is unique. We already started to propose a few pyjamas to teenagers and women, and new styles will follow within a month.