Q&A
with founder of Obiebébé Charlotte Sandgren
Tell me about how this new collaboration came to be?
Through mutual friends I met the Evra family and gifted their son, Lilas, some outfits for his 1st birthday. They responded by saying how much they liked the design, the diversity and quality of Obiebébé and that it was nothing like what they had seen before. I think they also bought into the fact that I’m a one-woman company, a solo-mom and entrepreneur. And that I’m Danish, like Margaux.
They contacted me about the possibility of doing a co-lab, and I was thrilled and honored about getting this opportunity with Obiebébé that had only been airborne for 9 months at the time. Patrice Evra has never included his family in any type of commercial work before so I knew it was a big deal.
When we met we bonded over our common passion for fashion and being strong voices for children's rights to live a life with love and to learn and thrive in a safe space.
How did you and the family collaborate on creating the new styles?
We talked a lot about what we wanted to create together with the whole family in mind. Patrice is a footballer and the sporty style is a natural part of being an active family on the go. I have a background in fashion and Margaux’s and I both have personal styles that lean toward leisurewear and so called men's cuts. Obiebébé has always been gender neutral, so of course this collection would also rise above gender divisions.
For this limited collection we built on the Obiebébé DNA but it was so important to me that the collection was true to the Evra family and who they are. We worked closely together on all the details from making the design, the colors, materials, logo and every small detail in this collection.
The red color is very significant in the collection and is of course a tribute to Patrice Evra's past in Manchester United, but the color red also represents love, which is a big part of Patrice’s personal brand but also the association we have for children. Patrice and his wife Margaux are all about the love for family and love for children, so to keep the red color throughout the collection was the perfect symbol to sum all that up.
The edgy and cool paisley-print is a Obiebébé signature and it felt natural and a must to do sets in that, in a new color-way chosen by the Evra’s.
What does this collaboration mean to you?
I created this brand from the bottom up and I’m still doing everything myself, from designing, leading the production, managing the website, doing the marketing, packing the orders - everything. And a lot of the time with my 3 year old son Marley by my side. So to have someone as influential and established as Patrice and Margaux say they want to support that and associate their name with mine and my small brand is a huge privilege and something that makes me profoundly proud.
What values do you hope to promote with this collaboration?
Obiebébé was created on a foundation of being diverse in a unisex space, as opposed to most other brands, even the big brands, that still separate their clothes in boys and girls, tractor and cars vs. princesses and pink. I want our kids to grow up in a world where they are not limited in styles or the colors they get to choose from. And who better to set an example for our children than the adults.
With this co-lab the Evra’s and I want to make a statement that families come in all shapes and sizes. We want to celebrate whatever that looks like. Our aim for the Obiebébé LOVE Evra collection was to create something comfortable, unisex and fashionable for everyone, with the whole family in mind.
In 2023, family can also be your chosen family, family is what you decide it should be.
